Cantor Equity Partners extends rally after 50% gain in previous session

** Shares of blank-check firm Cantor Equity Partners jump as much as 40.4% in early trading; last up 30.4% at $32.35** Stock closed up 50.3% at $24.80 on Thursday, after surging 55.4% on Wednesday** About 54 million CEP shares changed hands on Thursday, data compiled by LSEG shows** CEP on Wednesday announced a $3.6 billion crypto venture, called Twenty One Capital, in partnership with stablecoin issuer Tether, Japanese investment giant SoftBank and crypto exchange Bitfinex** Twenty One will be a publicly traded bitcoin-holding company** CEP is backed by Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment banking and brokerage firm chaired by Brandon Lutnick, the son of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick