Bitcoin at new all-time peak

Bitcoin set a fresh all-time high yesterday, after rising 6.5% to US$22 765 by 0833 GMT, just a day after smashing the US$20 000 milestone for the first time. The world's highest profile crypto-currency has gained more than 175% this year, buoyed by demand from larger investors attracted to its potential for quick gains and perceived inflation-hedging qualities. The recent bitcoin rally has been driven in part by increasing expectations it will soon become a mainstream payment method, after shedding a poor public image for opacity among yield-hungry investors and risk-averse consumers. Yang Li, Chief Growth Officer at digital foreign exchange platform Ziglu said modern personal money apps were at the forefront of ensuring easy, safe, fast access to cryptocurrency. "Wider adoption will grow the value of bitcoin even more, this is just the start," Li said. Photo Nampa/AFP