(Adds detail of reported EIB plan and bitcoin price)
SINGAPORE, May 3 (Reuters) – Cryptocurrency ether hit a record high on Monday to trade within a whisker of $3,000, extending last week’s rally in the wake of a report that the European Investment Bank (EIB) could launch a digital bond sale on the ethereum blockchain network.
Ether hit $2,989.95 in early Asia trade. It is up about 300% for the year so far, outpacing a 95% rise in the more popular bitcoin. Ether is the digital currency or token that facilitates transactions on the ethereum blockchain and it is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap behind bitcoin.
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that the EIB plans to issue a two-year 100-million euro digital bond.
Bitcoin traded slightly softer at $56,396 on Monday. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
