(Bloomberg) -- Bitcoin is closing in on $80,000 for the first time, boosted by President-elect Donald Trump’s embrace of digital assets and the prospect of a Congress featuring pro-crypto lawmakers. The cryptocurrency climbed as much as 4.3% to an ...

Bitcoin jumped nearly 8% in early trading, climbing above $75,000 and smashing its previous record set in March. Other cryptocurrencies also soared, including ether, the world’s second most popular cryptocurrency after bitcoin, which rallied 8%.

Trump’s current stance on crypto is a major departure from his last term as president. In the summer of 2019, Trump criticized cryptocurrency on social media, claiming it could be used to facilitate illegal activities. And during his presidency, the Trump administration’s regulatory actions included the SEC’s controversial lawsuit against Ripple.