We also consider two additional factors that account for the finding that in some periods prices drift away from fundamentals. The first factor is the return of Bitcoin. We argue that Bitcoin, being the largest and most traded cryptocurrency, is the most perceptible to sentiment and speculative trading by investors. Thus, as a factor, it can capture periods when trading forces unrelated to fundamentals are the strongest. The second factor is a cryptocurrency price momentum factor that we construct following the seminal work of Jegadeesh and Titman (1993). Momentum effects have been linked to investor psychology (e.g. Barberis et al. 1998).
The teenager set up a fake gift voucher website and bought a haul of Bitcoins which soared in value.

Mistakes like this happen throughout finance when, for instance, traders mess up details of their intended trades, entering the wrong price or order size. An erroneously large trade, as one example, can overwhelm an exchange's order book, leading to a quick and massive decline. The entire U.S. stock market famously flash crashed back in May 2010, though equities have mostly avoided trouble since that era.
Facebook’s closely guarded Libra project could be the first true cryptocurrency alternative to fiat currencies, although its growing pains suggest that true parity remains well in the future.