Bitcoin Surges in Pre-Market Trading, Boosting U.S. Crypto Stocks and Binance's Open Interest

U.S. crypto-centric companies, including Coinbase, MicroStrategy, Robinhood, Marathon Digital, and Riot Blockchain, saw their stock prices rise in pre-market trading as bitcoin surged above $36,000 for the first time in 18 months. The gains may also be driven by optimism surrounding the potential approval of a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the U.S., as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reportedly engages in talks with Grayscale Investments about converting its bitcoin trust product into an ETF.