Bitcoin surges to $82K as Senate Banking Committee advances Clarity Act in bipartisan 15-9 vote!

Bitcoin touched $82,000 Thursday after the Senate Banking Committee cleared the long-awaited Clarity Act in a 15-9 bipartisan vote — including two Democratic crossovers — before settling at $81,500, up 2.5% on the day. The bill now heads to the full Senate floor, marking the furthest a comprehensive digital asset market structure framework has advanced through Congress.

Crypto-linked equities surged on the regulatory optimism. Coinbase (COIN) led gains with an 8% jump as investors priced in the prospect of clearer rules accelerating institutional participation. Strategy (MSTR) added 7% and Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine (BMNR) climbed 5.6%.

The risk-on wave extended well beyond crypto. The Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 both pushed to fresh record highs, while AI chipmaker Cerebras (CBRS) debuted roughly 100% above its $185 IPO price after raising $5.5 billion. Former bitcoin miners turned AI…