But that is old news, that is not why the price suddenly shot up today. I was wondering myself if there was some piece of news that was released today that I missed. But in browsing the forum and google, I cannot find any news consistent with the price boost today. Maybe the general market is anticipating a price boost after the 15th and decided to get in early on it. I bet we'll be trading in the 500-600 by the end of the week.
This was instigated on the Chinese exchanges a few minutes before the USD exchanges jumped on board (many trading bots respond to action across all exchanges). The Chinese exchanges which may or may not be largely faked volume. It also coincided with a cross over of the 1 day MACD, similar to jump from $400 - $580 - $710 in March of which this $340 - $410 - $475 jump is thus far a near perfect fractal of, with decreased price ranges and time spans. It also coincides with a full moon in China (it was evening in China when pump was kicked off).
As I type, Huobi is front running the cross exchange price action and has formed quite a different chart from Bitstamp.
I personally don't think the lowest low is in and I find it incredible that genuine Chinese investors are clamouring to pile into Bitcoin right on the eve of their central banks deadlines on banks working with Bitcoin exchanges. Sure, there may be yet another 'work around' just like the last time but the writing is surely on the wall for Bitcoin in China. The PBOC will not tolerate such an obvious and easy means of capital flight, tax evasion and undermining of their economy, should it be allowed to grow, so they will make sure it doesn't, without actually banning Bitcoin itself.
Most sinister scenario is that this was a price spike timed to collide with some important longer term TA indicators, based on largely fake Chinese volume and the end result will be greatly increased buy-in support in tranches below the inflated spot price followed by yet more Chinese dumps on USD exchanges. Outwith that, such a sudden sharp surge of buying power out of knowhere just doesn't make any fkn sense to me.