Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) CEO Lloyd Blankfein said that Bitcoin hasn't made him comfortable yet.
However, he did say in an interview with Bloomberg that he is open to the cryptocurrency in the future.
At his company's annual Finance Innovation Forum, Blankfein discussed his views on Bitcoin in the wake of CME Group's decision to introduce futures contracts tied to the cryptocurrency.
"I've learned over the years that there's a lot of things that work out pretty well that I don't love," he said.
"Maybe in the new world, something gets backed by consensus... If we went into the future and bitcoins were successful, I would be able to explain how it's a natural evolution of money," said Goldman Sachs' CEO.
Blankfein's openness to Bitcoin stands in contrast to statements made by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon.
Below is a recap of the top cryptocurrency prices at 2:00 p.m. EDT:
- Bitcoin: $7,321.73, +3.70%
- Ethereum: $299.71, +3.65%
- Bitcoin Cash: $680.82, +21.30%
- Ripple: $0.208, +6.97%
- Litecoin: $54.99, +2.96%
Now that we know all of today's price movements, here's what has been moving these cryptocurrencies...
Cryptocurrency Markets Today
On Friday, the total market capitalization of the global cryptocurrency sector hit $199.1 billion. Bitcoin's market capitalization comprised 61.2% of the total crypto market capitalization.
Top performers from the largest 50 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization included Waves (up 26.53%), Bytom (up 23.67%), Factom (up 21.64%), DigixDAO (up 16.12%), and SALT (up 12.15%).
The worst performers from the top 50 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization included Vertcoin (down -17.16%), BitShares (down -16.37%), Golem (down -6.61%), Bytecoin (down -5.38%), Cardano (down -4.87%), and Stellar Lumens (down -4.50%).
Ethereum Can't Crack $300
The Ethereum price tracked Bitcoin's gains Friday, but the price still remained below $300.
Must Read: How to Make Money from Cryptocurrencies Without Buying Them
While Ethereum's price didn't generate much attention, its founder, Vitalik Buterin, certainly did. Buterin said in a Twitter message Friday that he has concerns about BitConnect, a Bitcoin-lending investment platform that has a huge user base and market cap north of $2 billion.
Buterin commented that the company's promised returns of 1% per day is bordering on a Ponzi scheme.
Bitcoin Cash Rips 21% Higher
Bitcoin Cash hit its highest price in roughly two months. The cryptocurrency surged more than 21% Friday as the spin-off of Bitcoin rallied on the back of the broader rally.
South Korean buyers continue to pile into BCH, with roughly 65% of global purchases coming from exchanges in the country.
Top 5 Cryptocurrencies to Invest in Today
Some speculate that Bitcoin's upcoming hard fork is a reason why investors are looking to Bitcoin Cash for safety and potential upside.
Altcoin Updates
Both Ripple and Litecoin pushed higher on increased investor enthusiasm. Although Litecoin has come close to falling below $50 recently, it had solid gains today.
Ripple, meanwhile, has been stuck at the $0.20 resistance level and has failed to break out after a broad sell-off following its SWELL conference.
Up Next: This Bitcoin Price Prediction Chart Is a Trader's Dream
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About the Author
Garrett Baldwin is a globally recognized research economist, financial writer, consultant, and political risk analyst with decades of trading experience and degrees in economics, cybersecurity, and business from Johns Hopkins, Purdue, Indiana University, and Northwestern.