Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, is up 35.8% from the year's low of $16,496 on Jan. 1. Ether, the coin linked to the ethereum blockchain network, rose 5.66 % to $1,639.2 on Friday, adding $87.8 to its previous close.

(Reporting by Siddharth Jindal in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft)