Crypto stocks gain as bitcoin nears $100,000

** Shares of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related firms gain premarket, tracking bitcoin rise to a 2-1/2 month high** Bitcoin , world's biggest cryptocurrency, up 2.9% to $99,519 after climbing as high as $99,875** Ether lifts 8.4% to $1,949** Crypto exchange Coinbase Global up 4%, and BTC stockpiler Strategy , formerly known as MicroStrategy, up 5% before the bell** Retail trading platform Robinhood up >2%** Crypto miners up premarket: Riot Platforms 5%, Mara Holdings 5%, Cleanspark >4%, Bit Digital 4.5%** ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF and iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF both up 3.5%** YTD, BTC up ~6% and has rallied ~33% from its 2025 low of $74,446 hit about a month ago