Bitcoin kicks off second half of the year with a 12 percent rally

After a sluggish start to the year, bitcoin started the month of July with a 12 percent rebound off last week’s lows, CNBC reported.

The cryptocurrency rose 4 percent Monday to a high of $6,661.76 as of 2:30 p.m. ET, according to data from CoinDesk, according to the source.

Last week, bitcoin skidded to its lowest level since November, under $6,000, which traders attributed to CME futures contracts expiring and overall lackluster interest from new buyers. The world’s largest and first cryptocurrency has struggled from that lack of enthusiasm, and prices have dropped 52 percent since January, according to CoinDesk.