*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=).
Sen. Josh Hawley’s bill to hold major tech companies responsible for content published on their platforms is finding no love. The legislation, which is aimed to punishing tech companies for their supposed censorship of conservative voices, is being criticized by free speech advocates for potentially increasing censorship and by politicians from both sides of the aisle who view the bill as gross example of government overreach.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, June 20, 2019.
Slack made its market debut Thursday with shares trading at $38.50, way up from the $26 a piece reference price set by the New York Stock Exchange. The opening price gives the workplace message platform a valuation of over $23 billion.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, June 19, 2019.
Facebook announced a new financial system that will be based on a digital token called Libra managed by an independent non-profit consortium, which is currently comprised of companies like Uber, Spotify, Visa, and MasterCard.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, June 18, 2019.
Sotheby's, one of the world's oldest auction houses, is being acquired by Patrick Drahi, the founder and controlling shareholder of European telecom giant Altice, in a $3.7 billion deal, the company announced Monday.
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.
A Toronto-based investment fund manager called 3iQ is working to overturn the rejection of its proposed Bitcoin Fund by the Ontario Securities Commission, saying that it is withholding opportunities from Canadian investors and holding back advancements in fintech. FredPye, President and CEO of 3iQ joined Cheddar to discuss the battle.
During its Elevate conference this week Uber sought to sell its vision for aerial logistics. Cheddar's Hope King was there.
