Bitcoin surpassed $81,000 in early Asian trading, rising less than 1% in 24 hours, after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cleared the way for on-chain trading of tokenized US equities. The NEAR token was a standout performer, surging approximately 23% to over $4, primarily driven by a sixfold increase in Zcash (ZEC) trading volume on its on-chain trading service, NEAR Intents. Meanwhile, US officials reported "very successful" progress in trade talks with China, boosting Asian equities and S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures. Brent crude fell 2% to over $101, marking its fourth consecutive day of declines and easing inflation concerns.