Bitcoin price has been very volatile since early 2013 when it was trading between $10 and $15, and soon afterwards it went on a parabolic rise to hit a high of $1163 within the same year. It spent the next 18 months dropping all the way back down to the $200s but then went on the ascent again as global uncertainty persisted.
It made the news once again in late 2016 when there was a China-led buying spree, mainly from people trying to escape the Yuan’s devaluation. Its simplicity, anonymity and transaction ease made it a very popular choice among the Chinese. In early 2017 it almost hit an all-time high, peaking at $1140 and at that point the Chinese central bank made an important announcement. The CB said that it wanted to investigate Bitcoin transactions in market manipulation, money laundering and unauthorised financing. At time of writing BTC is trading at $828, which represents a staggering 2-week drop of over 37%.