The price of bitcoin: The market cap of bitcoin at $13bn
In a world where a single coin can be worth over $5,000, a digital asset such as bitcoin has been used as a store of value for years.
Its value has been rising in recent years as governments have tightened their control on money supply and banks have started to ease restrictions on money transfers and exchanges.
Its price has since surged in value over the past few months, from $11,500 at the beginning of the year to $12,000 in mid-June.
The cryptocurrency has soared from being used as an investment hedge in 2009, when it was initially worth about $500 to more than $700 today.
The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it will begin increasing its $85bn benchmark interest rate, which was previously at a low of 1.25% to help boost inflation and boost consumer spending.
However, as the price of bitcoins continues to rise, the value of the cryptocurrency has been falling as more people and businesses are finding it difficult to buy them on exchanges.
The bitcoin market is now worth less than $12bn, according to CoinDesk, which estimates the currency is worth about three times the market cap for all other digital currencies combined.
A bitcoin exchange, Bitcoin.com, reported a net loss of $2m in its first quarter, which has prompted the company to sell its trading platform and stop accepting bitcoin.
In response, other cryptocurrency exchanges are ramping up operations to handle the volume and demand, according the CoinDesk report.
The bitcoin price is set to be the third-biggest stock market rally in the world on Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average moves higher.
While the price is rising, bitcoin’s value is plummeting as people and institutions are finding that it is not worth their while to hold.
A bitcoin trading platform, BitStamp, said it is selling its trading and trading accounts to other businesses and investors.
In the United States, there have been more than 500 bitcoin exchanges and trading platforms, with a total market capitalisation of $21bn.