The price of digital currency Bitcoin rose above 25,000 dollars on Saturday for the first time.
The oldest and best-known cryptocurrency reached 25,022 dollars on the Bitstamp trading platform, a record high.
On other trading platforms, of which there are many, the record highs may differ, as there is no central Bitcoin exchange.
Bitcoin has seen a breathtaking rise this year. In early 2020, it was worth 8,000 dollars, but then fell to 4,000 dollars when the pandemic broke out in the spring.
It gradually began to increase, a rise that then accelerated sharply in the fall. Bitcoin has more than doubled in value since mid-October.
It is by far the largest digital currency with a market share of almost 70 per cent.
One decisive factor in Bitcoin's rise is that digital currencies returned to investors' focus this year, driven partly by a push by Paypal, which aims to enable customers to pay using digital currencies such as Bitcoin.
Bitcoin's boost is also thanks to the fact that more and more professional investors are taking an interest in cryptocurrencies.
Such investor interest, often seen as more long term, may steady Bitcoin's price, which is highly susceptible to fluctuations.
There is also greater interest in digital currencies due to the pandemic and associated spike in government debt. Some investors fear rising inflation in the medium to long term and seek to hedge against this with alternative investments.
