Bitcoin Briefly Tops $70,000 as Kraken Wins Direct Access to Federal Reserve Payment Rail

Bitcoin climbed past $70,000 while Kraken received approval to connect directly to the Federal Reserve's core payment system, The Wall Street Journal reported. MARA Holdings said it has no plan to sell the majority of its 53,822 Bitcoin, valued at about $4.7 billion, after denying liquidation claims. U.S.-listed Jiuzi New Energy announced a $1 billion agreement to acquire 10,000 bitcoins from strategic investors despite a market capitalization of only $1.18 million, Globenewswire reported. Venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is preparing to raise $2 billion for its fifth dedicated crypto fund by the end of the first quarter of 2026, The Block reported.