While bitcoin has in past ridden a cycle of boom and then bust, 2017 has seen its price skyrocket. On Wednesday morning in Asia bitcoin rose as far as $10,379 before easing a bit to $10,240 at midday in Hong Kong. Bitcoin futuresCME Group, the US exchange operator, last month announced plans to roll out bitcoin futures, subject to regulatory approval. But companies such as Overstock, led by long-term bitcoin enthusiast Patrick Byrne, allow customers to use the cryptocurrency to make purchases. And disagreements between bitcoin developers have risked a new “fork” in the cryptocurrency, creating rancour in the close-knit community.

Source: The Irish Times November 29, 2017 06:45 UTC