Beyond Bitcoin: Ether breaks past $2,000 as crypto gains widen

The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency gained as much as 2.3 percent on Friday, having surged 170 percent this year alone.

Ether, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency rose to $2,000 for the first time, as the rally in digital assets continues to broaden beyond Bitcoin. The digital token for the Ethereum network gained as much as 2.3% to $2,014 on Friday. It has surged about 170% this year. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index gained gained about 3%, while Bitcoin was little changed after more than doubling this year.