Bill Gates stated that the Bitcoin is the future and that it is better than currency. Would you assume that his statement (as one of the many reasons) added value on Bitcoin which made it stronger and more stable in the system? 
Obviously it must have played some part coming from a globally influential person like him. However, it seems recently, the media has played a major role in the bitcoin value and with the way things are going, we will start experiencing a bullish boom for bitcoin.