David BurrowsThe aggregate value of all cryptocurrencies has hit a record high of around $184bn, according to industry website Coinmarketcap.
This latest valuation makes cryptocurrencies reported market value worth around the same as that of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley combined.
The new peak came as the biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, bitcoin, hit a record high of more than $6,500.
This valuation took Bitcoin’s own ‘market cap’ - its price multiplied by the number of coins that have been released into circulation - to a record high just short of $110bn.
The latest surge in bitcoin - which has seen an eye-watering increase of almost 800% in the past 12 months - was driven by news this week CME Group , the world's largest derivative exchange operator, would launch bitcoin futures in the fourth quarter of the year.
The announcement was interpreted as a major step in the digital currency's path toward legitimacy and mainstream financial
The second-most valuable cryptocurrency Ether – often referred to as ‘Ethereum’, after the project behind it - was trading slightly down on the day at $302 per coin, having hit a record high of more than $410 in June.