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SAN FRANCISCO — Shares of Eastman Kodak Co more than doubled on Tuesday after the one-time leader in photography became the latest company to jump on the cryptocurrency bandwagon.

The storied Rochester, New York-based company said in a statement it is launching a cryptocurrency called “KODAKCoin” for photographers, part of “KODAKOne,” an image rights management platform in a licensing partnership with WENN Digital.

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The platform uses blockchain technology, the backbone of Bitcoin and other digital currencies that have surged in recent months and raised fears of a price bubble.

The stock was last up 92 per cent at US$5.95 in midafternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, off an earlier high at US$6.65.

The film pioneer founded over a century ago has struggled to transform itself into an imaging software and technology company. Kodak was a Dow Jones Industrials component until April 2004, and its stock has slumped 90 per cent since it emerged from bankruptcy in 2013.