The growth of cryptocurrency was driven by a number of factors, including institutional investment, increased adoption by businesses, and the launch of new cryptocurrencies. Institutional investors, such as hedge funds and pension funds, began to invest in cryptocurrency as a way to diversify their portfolios and hedge against inflation. Businesses, such as Tesla and Square, began to accept cryptocurrency as payment. And new cryptocurrencies, such as Solana and Cardano, gained popularity as they offered faster and cheaper transactions than Bitcoin.