But this time feels different. It feels like a bubble. The fever in the post-Thanksgiving moonshot ran hotter than we’d seen before. We also began to see a robust supply response.
Meanwhile, there has been plenty of speculation that bitcoin’s big rise may have been due to a pump-and-dump scheme. One theory that the U.S. Justice Department is reportedly looking into is that the digital coin Tether (which is supposedly pegged to the U.S. dollar to make for a less volatile cryptocurrency) was used to manipulate the bitcoin market and cause a large run-up in price. This theory stems from an academic paper, which cast Tether in a very damning light. And it also led many to believe that the initial bitcoin craze was manufactured and destined to bust.

The electric carmaker said in May that it would no longer accept the cryptocurrency for purchases. It's been a wild ride for bitcoin the last three years.
“We’re working around the clock to fix the issues and to ensure we give you the quality experience you deserve,” the tweet assured users. “So we can manage demand, will be [sic] releasing each product in a staggered approach (one-by-one) – starting with the website buy & swap function – today.”