Srinagar, May 2 -- Bitcoin prices climbed closer to the $100,000 mark on Friday, driven by improving global sentiment after China expressed willingness to re-engage in trade talks with the United States. The cryptocurrency rose 1.7% to $96,806, briefly touching $97,226 earlier in the session.

The rally was further supported by corporate giant MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), which announced a $21 billion equity offering aimed at buying more Bitcoin-despite reporting its fifth consecutive quarterly loss due to a $5.91 billion unrealized loss on its Bitcoin holdings.

Optimism over US-China trade negotiations helped lift risk sentiment across global markets, including equities and digital assets. While cryptocurrencies are not directly tied to...