Bitcoin presents a variety of opportunities that did not exist prior to its development. Yet, it has failed as yet to convert investors concerned about its potential rate of adoption as an alternative currency. Recent acknowledgement by the IRS that Bitcoin is an asset for tax purposes has clarified the situation for investors, and the promise of frictionless value transfer suggests innovative use cases in foreign direct investment. In the near term, much of the volatility will be driven by investor perception of the ability of gateways to safeguard individual holdings and provide for a reliable store of value as adoption increases.
Price fluctuations in the Bitcoin spot rate on the Bitcoin exchanges is driven by many factors. Volatility is measured in traditional markets by the Volatility Index, also known as the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). Volatility in Bitcoin does not yet have a generally accepted index since cryptocurrency as an asset class is still in its nascent stages, but we do know that Bitcoin is capable of volatility in the form of 10x changes in price versus the U.S. dollar, in a relatively short period of time (See the Investopedia Bitcoin Center for current updates on the price of bitcoin).