Neither top-of-the-range phones, nor jewelry, nor gold. Bitcoin is 'O' luxury gift this Christmas of 2017.
It is one of the sensation themes of the year 2017 and already has its place in history. Having one in the slipper on Christmas Eve would be a gift worth about 14,000 euros. The most desirable virtual currency is a rare 'gem' difficult to mine.
Bitcoin has given that talk, left the sphere of the virtual world and jumped into the newspapers. It is part of the conversations of Portuguese coffee and is a topic even in rows of supermarkets. Politicians talk about it. Financial regulators issue notices.
Whoever does not know it wants to know what it is. And because it is famous. And it seems that the most valuable virtual currency will be one of the main themes of the year 2018.
Bitcoin has jumped from the virtual world to the markets and, despite seemingly being overlooked by the big world banks, it is certain that it has beaten highs.
Negotiation of bitcoin futures contracts in the United States served as a driver to raise the currency close to $ 20,000. After the financial markets, bitcoin entered politics. The European Union wants to see the currency regulated and bitcoin should also be on the agenda of the world's top 20 economies, the G20.
While some argue whether bitcoin is a currency to be used in transactions or a mere asset target of speculation, others profit. There are businesses using bitcoin as a means of payment. And there are investors in the currency who create business with the gains they have made in the meantime.
Its unknown founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, became the 44th richest man in the world, with a fortune valued at $ 19.4 billion when the currency peaked last Sunday, according to Quartz.
And there's a whole new business world coming up around bitcoin. And more and more business to be done using currency as a means of payment. It is not yet known how this bitcoinmania will end or if it will have a happy ending.
Here are some facts about bitcoin, which you should know:
It was worth $ 1,000 at the beginning of 2017.
Reached its record amount earlier this week at $ 19,771 (16,000 euros), according to Coindesk.
It is volatile: this week, in only two days it lost 20% of its value, compared to the maximum recorded, for a minimum of $ 15,800 (13,336 euros)
The creator (or creators) of the currency is now one of the 50 richest men in the world.
About 40% of bitcoins are in the hands of only 1,000 investors.
Each bitcoin is a 'gem' buried in algorithms, requiring a lot of energy to 'dig up'.
It poses a major risk to the environment, as currency-related activity outpaces the energy consumption of 159 countries around the world.
A wave of bitcoin millionaires sprang up who spend their fortunes in different ways, with some becoming investors and entrepreneurs and others assuming themselves as philanthropists.
Keeping bitcocks safe has become a booming business due to cybersecurity issues.
The skeptics point out that bitcoin will be the biggest bubble ever, with similarities to the Dutch tulip bubble in 1637, and that it will leave a trail of failed investors.