July 11 (Reuters) -

U.S.-listed cryptocurrency stocks rose in premarket trading

on Friday as bitcoin surged to a record high on growing

optimism that regulatory hurdles would soon begin to ease.

The upbeat sentiment is a result of court rulings and

policy signals suggesting a shift toward clearer oversight

instead of outright crackdowns, which had led to years-long

standoff between crypto firms and U.S. regulators.

The world's largest cryptocurrency was last up 3.9% at

$118,018.25, taking its gains for the year to nearly 26%. The

digital asset has surged nearly 41% in the last three months.

Next week, the House of Representatives will debate three

major crypto bills, the Genius Act, the Clarity Act and the

Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act in a bid to give the industry

the regulatory transparency it has long demanded.

It is a sharp reversal of fortune for a sector that once

threatened to flee offshore, citing a hostile environment and

heavy-handed enforcement in the U.S.

"We expect capital that was previously sidelined due to

regulatory uncertainty to re-enter," said Jag Kooner, head of

derivatives at crypto exchange Bitfinex.

"Even if final passage stalls, the optics of legislative

engagement are bullish."

Bitcoin's latest surge has reignited risk appetite in

cryptocurrency-linked equities, offering a boost to companies

ranging from exchange operators to bitcoin miners.

Crypto exchange Coinbase added 1.35% before the

bell, while bitcoin buyer and holder Strategy rose 2.8%.

Crypto miners Riot Platforms ( RIOT ), Hut 8 ( HUT ) and

Mara Holdings ( MARA ) gained between 2.8% and 3.1%.

Industry executives and investors have welcomed recent legal

wins and licensing milestones as signs that cryptocurrencies and

related businesses could gain ground within the U.S. financial

system, despite lingering enforcement actions and political

divides over regulation.

(Reporting by Manya Saini and Niket Nishant in Bengaluru;

Editing by Arun Koyyur)