Additional factors:
- Mt. Gox exchange had, days earlier, difficulties due to DDoS attack.
- There might have been pent-up buying pressure that was put to work once defenses to repel the DDoS proved relatively effective.
- The exchange has stopped accepting wire transfer / ACH from the U.S. . Not sure on the timing, but maybe there was a "last call" rush to add funds before that method got halted.
- New "easy" funding method made available (for those in the U.S.): Dwolla ($0.25 per trx)
- Viral growth continues:
-
http://www.google.com/trends?q=bitcoin&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0- Forbes readers finally pulling the trigger?
- Network is protected even more from an attack using "massive computing power" now that there is over 1 Thash/s of hashing.
- The technical analysis indicating that further upside still kept the exchange rate within the trading channel.
- panic buyers realizing that if there is panic buying, it is better to be one of the first panic buyers. :-)
- the crap on wall street, D.C. and elsewhere continuing, providing plenty of motivation for alternatives.
(see:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-people-vs-goldman-sachs-20110511 )
