Cryptocurrency ether hit a record high of $3,017 on Monday, extending last week’s rally in the wake of a report that the European Investment Bank (EIB) could launch a digital bond sale on the ethereum blockchain network. Ether rose 2 per cent on the Bitstamp exchange to hit the milestone early in Asia trade. It is up more than 300 per cent for the year so far, outpacing a 95 per cent rise in the more popular bitcoin. Ether is the digital currency or token that facilitates transactions on the ethereum blockchain and it is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap behind bitcoin.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that the EIB plans to issue a two-year 100-million euro digital bond. Bitcoin hovered around $58,000 on Monday.