*By Jacqueline Corba*
Bitcoin soared back above the [$8,000 mark this week for the first time since May](https://cheddar.com/videos/reddit-co-founder-on-the-state-of-cryptocurrency). The surge comes as more institutional investors look to grab a piece of the still-emerging crypto market.
"From a stored value perspective I'm a Bitcoin maximalist," [Fin co-CEO and co-Founder Sam Lessin](https://cheddar.com/videos/tech-entrepreneur-sam-lessin-authors-childrens-book-on-bitcoin) told Cheddar's Crypto Craze Thursday. "If you look at the broader blockchain and crypto ecosystem, I don't think people fully appreciate how deeply big a deal it is to have an immutable ledger globally."
Lessin, who served as a vice president of product management at Facebook from 2010 to 2014, joins fellow Facebook alum Anthony Pompliano in his bullish outlook on Bitcoin, the largest digital currency by market cap.
"I've got a high degree of confidence that at some point in the future its going to hit $50,000. And I've got some degree of confidence that it will be by the end of this year," Pompliano, who now runs Morgan Creek Digital Assets, told Cheddar.
The factors driving the value up? Human psychology, speculation around a [cryptocurrency ETF](https://www.coindesk.com/bitwise-proposes-etf-for-top-10-cryptos/), and growing institutional interest, said Pompliano.
Facebook itself even wants in on crypto. In May, [Cheddar reported Facebook is developing its own digital currency](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebook-plans-to-create-its-own-cryptocurrency-2).
"I have a lot of respect for the Facebook team," said Lessin. "What they have is a fundamental networkーthe biggest one ever in the history of the world connecting people." He called a Facebook move toward crypto an "obvious play."
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjExNzY=).
Security startup Openpath announces office tech that will allow workers to report intruders, active shooters, or other threats directly from their mobile devices and send an emergency alert directly to an office's physical security infrastructure.
Gravy Analytics, a location-based marketing technology company, analyzed the smartphone data of people who attended the 111 solo Democratic presidential candidate events held in June and July.
Shares of Lyft ($LYFT) popped more than 3 percent Monday morning after an analyst upgraded the company, citing higher prices as a path to profitability for the ride-hail company.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Aug. 23, 2019.
After hearing complaints that there wasn't enough quality inventory from her own homebuying clients, Sandra Heddon started a pre-designed, sustainable home company to fill the gap. Heddon, who is the co-founder and owner of Modern Catskills, joins Cheddar to discuss how she launched her business.
The Cupertino-based tech giant may go with a major overhaul of the next iPhone with new camera tech and faster processors, but no 5G, according to a report.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019.
TuSimple, the autonomous truck startup, isn't aiming to replace human drivers after partnering with UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, according to chief product officer Chuck Price. Instead, it hopes to help cover a nationwide driver shortage.
Nearly a thousand Twitter accounts were blocked and several Facebook pages taken down on Monday in a coordinated effort by the social media platforms to curb misinformation campaigns spread by the Chinese government against protesters in Hong Kong.
