The crypto industry is in the dumps. So why is bitcoin suddenly flying high?
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Although the cryptocurrency industry remains shadowed by recent blowups and controversy, the world's most important token — bitcoin — is making a comeback. The value of bitcoin soared to nearly $42,000 on Monday, marking the first time the digital currency cracked $40,000 in 18 months, price tracker CoinDesk Indices shows . The resurgence stands in contrast to the questions that have dogged the sector since last year's spectacular flameout of crypto exchange FTX, leading to the November conviction of founder Sam Bankman-Fried on seven counts of fraud. Also last month, Binance — the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange platform — agreed to pay $4.3 billion after admitting that it violated U.S. laws to prevent money laundering and sanctions violations, with CEO Changpeng Zhao pleading guilty to one federal charge. Despite such scandals, bitcoin's priced has soared 150% this year, although it remains down from a hig