The largest digital coin dropped 6.3% to $14,913 at 3:07pm in New York, having earlier climbed as much as 3.6%. Among rival digital currencies, ripple rose 8%, while ethereum and litecoin fell, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The relatively quiet day for bitcoin comes on the heels of a five-day slump that reached 44% at its depths and took the coin below $11,000 on Friday. Just four days earlier, it rose within striking distance of $20,000 after a torrid advance that started in early December.
Investors continued to snap up shares in companies often seen as a safer alternative to investing directly in the cryptocurrency itself. Digital Power rose in early trading after saying it’s boosting its computing infrastructure to mine digital coins. On Track Innovation also advanced.