Bitcoin is staging a comeback reminiscent of 2017 bubble frenzy

Bitcoin halvings, which slow down the rate at which new tokens are created, happen once every four years or so. Its third such event is set to occur next week. Sceptics argue crypto prices are notoriously volatile and often difficult to pin explanations to, positing that any appreciation should be priced in ahead of time. But crypto fans cite historical precedent. — Reuters

It’s been left for dead more than once, written off as nothing but a bubble and denounced as rat poison by one of the world’s most famous investors. Yet Bitcoin is once again staging a comeback reminiscent of the token’s glory days, with evangelists pegging their hopes on a technical event as the new catalyst.

True believers say the gains are driven by Bitcoin’s upcoming halving, when the rewards miners receive for processing transactions will be cut in half as soon as May 12. The Internet is glutted with second-by-second countdown clocks and the mania is even spurring a hike in hiring by crypto firms worldwide. Bitcoin has rallied to more than US$9,000 (RM38,903) in anticipation from around US$6,000 (RM25,935) just a month ago, adding more than US$1.3bil (RM5.61bil) in value.