The Remaining ‘Ifs and Buts’ About Bitcoin

Reports of Bitcoin’s death have been numerous and “greatly exaggerated” for much of its lifespan. But there remain reasons for skepticism – not least its well-known volatility, as evidenced by the 2017 surge in price and this week’s 20 percent plunge from an all-time high of around $3000.Clearly, such price volatility undermines Bitcoin’s pretensions to be a stable store of value and medium of exchange. Its general ongoing surge also encourages hoarding not sp