The soaring cryptocurrency Bitcoin is trading at $1,147 early Thursday, within $20 of the all-time high of $1,165.89, according to CoinDesk. The record high was set on Nov. 30, 2013.
In addition to approaching a record high, Bitcoin is nearing parity with gold, which is trading at $1,178.
Bitcoin’s price rose steadily in 2016, appreciating about 130 percent over the course of the year. Bitcoin outperformed all central-bank issued currencies last year, according to the BBC.
Cryptocurrency experts predict the price of Bitcoin will continue to rise in 2017 as more people use the digital currency.
In late 2013, Bitcoin soared to above $1,100. It then fell to below $400 following a hack of a virtual currency exchange in which numerous coins were stolen. Bitcoin’s price has been rising since 2015.