Bitcoin has rallied as much as 7% in the past five days, topping $64,000 for the first time since August 26. Meanwhile, gold has hit a record high more than 30 times this year, topping $2,600 an ounce. Analyst James Van Straten said the stellar performance of bitcoin and gold is linked to increased global liquidity, the expansion of central banks' balance sheets around the world, and the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cuts to stimulate investment and economic activity. The Federal Reserve currently has a balance sheet of $7.10 trillion, and the pace has slowed despite ongoing quantitative tightening. The decrease in reverse repurchase balances, which are now just over $300 billion, has released liquidity back into the financial system. This has a stimulative effect, increasing the availability of funds for lending, investment and overall economic activity. This increase in liquidity is particularly stimulative for bitcoin, which tends to move in line with liquidity trends. On top of this, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points, further supporting the rise in bitcoin and gold.