Evidently it's due to the MMM Ponzi Scheme: <a href="http://www.dailytradingprofits.com/5063/is-bitcoin-being-pumped-by-a-ponzi-scheme/" rel="nofollow">http://www.dailytradingprofits.com/5063/is-bitcoin-being-pum...</a><p>Nobody knows for sure how big of an impact it's having, but it's likely not a coincidence.
Which is weird. The volume has greatly increased in China, but we've never trusted their published numbers before. This is yet another China-driven rally - beware of the sudden drops we know very well from the painful past!
Kids need their drugs for NYE/the holidays. I think we'll see this increase up until December, and just like mail we'll see it drop off.
What is the typical behavior (behavior in terms of market dynamics, and impact on orderbooks) of market makers in up trending markets? General question, not specific to bitcoin.
The only surprising thing is the timing. My guess is that this has to do with all the attention from the Economist. The fundamentals of the Bitcoin economy have been developing at a solid pace for more than a year— they've been swelling for months.