Interest in Bitcoin peaking, prices skyrocketing

Here comes Bitcoin.

According to Google Insight which tracks search volume, interest in the peer-to-peer crypto-currency is shooting up this month.

Web Search Interest: “bitcoin”. Worldwide, Past 12 months.

The interest is also pushing up the volatile alternative currency to fresh highs. Bitcoin started the month at US$33.610, according to Mt. Gox, a Bitcoin trading site. Today it closed at US$81.99.

The Business Insider’s executive editor, Joe Wiesenthal, headlines the price moves this way:

Bitcoin Prices Have Gone Utterly Nuclear In The Last Two Days

Photograph by ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser