Cryptocurrencies continued their slide with a fresh bout of losses Friday after the SEC dashed hopes that a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund would appear before the end of this year. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, slumped as much as 7.8 percent, taking it down past $3,400 to the lowest level since September 2017, according to consolidated pricing compiled by Bloomberg. The wider Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index sank 10 percent as rival tokens including Ether, Litecoin and XRP also retreated. The Securities and Exchange Commission plans to decide by Feb. 27 whether to approve a proposed ETF from financial-technology ... (full story)