Even as payments companies like PayPal Holdings Inc. or Square Inc. strive to bring Bitcoin trading to the masses, very few merchants directly touch the stuff. Data from Chainalysis estimates merchants made up only about 1% of cryptocurrency activity in North America between mid-2019 and mid-2020.

Bitcoin rose to a record high on Thursday, just a day after passing the $20,000 milestone for the first time, amid surging interest from larger investors.

Bitcoin (BTC) recently broke its all-time price high. Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks’ billionaire owner, however, has not changed his opinion on bitcoin since he referred to the asset as a collectible in 2019, giving it “no chance” of becoming a reliable currency.

Bitcoin's price topped $20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, lifted by growing mainstream acceptance.

Cryptocurrency rose by more than 6% against the dollar amid growing interest from big investment companies

Bitcoin smashed through $20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, its highest ever, amid increased institutional and corporate interest.