????比特幣終于迎來了走向成熟的盛大儀式。這個年方四歲的虛擬貨幣一度被視為淺薄的時髦小玩意兒，只有不法分子和販毒人員才用。但最近幾周，它卻獲得了來自各方的全新信任。美國和中國的投資者越來越有把握，這種替代性貨幣將來給普通消費者帶來好處。

????美國國會首次就這種貨幣工具召開聽證會，高層執法機構和官員闡明了虛擬貨幣的好處之后，本周一，比特幣的價值躥上新高，達到700美元（隨后又在一夜之間漲到了900美元）。

????首席檢察官助理麥齊利?拉曼表示，虛擬貨幣是合法的，而且“有潛力推動更多有效的全球貿易”。盡管沒有獲得央行的支持，但美聯儲主席本?伯南克也表達了類似看法。他在一封寫給參議員的信中表示，虛擬貨幣“長遠來看可能頗有前景，尤其是如果這種創新有助于建立更迅捷、更安全和更有效的支付系統”。

????就在同一天，還爆出一條新聞，全球比特幣交易量最大的企業——BTC中國公司（BTC China）獲得了來自機構投資者光速安振中國創業投資（Lightspeed China Partners）和光速創業投資（Lightspeed Venture Partners）500萬美元的首輪融資。

????這些動態表明，事情正在發生變化。就在上個月，聯邦當局端掉了一個名叫“絲綢之路”的網上販毒團伙，他們所有的交易都用比特幣來完成。這個行動引發了比特幣大規模拋售。這個網站被取締之后，比特幣的價格暴跌了20%。當時這種情況可能還令人難以置信，但這次打擊對這種貨幣來說可能是大好事，因為它有助于消除比特幣的陰暗面，使之更接近主流金融體系。

????自從絲綢之路被端掉之后，比特幣就開始迎來大幅上漲，而它是否在美國興起其實還無關緊要。近幾周來，是中國大幅推高了比特幣的價格。據專門提供比特幣數據的Bitcoin Charts稱，現在約三分之一的比特幣交易都是通過BTC China交易平臺進行的，而這個平臺只對中國用戶開放。這家公司最近取代了位于東京的Mt. Gox公司，成為全球交易量最大的比特幣交易所，公司高管表示正計劃利用最新一輪融資“實現快速增長、拓展業務?！?/p>

????為什么比特幣對中國情有獨鐘？盡管中國政府一向以強勢干預經濟而著稱，但讓人有點吃驚的是，這次它并沒有介入比特幣市場。比特幣市場一直波動劇烈，但它今年的價格已經大漲了30多倍。

????Bitcoin has reached a rite of passage. The four-year-old virtual currency was once dismissed as something of a fad that only gangsters and drug dealers used, but in recent weeks, it has found new sources of credibility. Increasingly, investors from the U.S. to China are betting that the alternative currency could some day benefit regular consumers.

????On Monday, bitcoin soared to a new high of $700 (it rose to $900 overnight), after senior law enforcement and regulatory officials highlighted the benefits of virtual currencies at the first ever congressional hearing on such monetary instruments.

????Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general, said virtual currencies are legit and "have the potential to promote more efficient global commerce." And even though they aren't backed by a central bank, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke echoed similar sentiments, writing in a letter to senators that virtual currencies "may hold long-term promise, particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system."

????The same day, news broke that BTC China, the world's largest bitcoin exchange by trading volume, secured $5 million in investments from institutional investors Lightspeed China Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

????The developments signal a shift. Just last month, federal authorities busted an online drug ring called Silk Road, which used bitcoin for all transactions. The bust prompted a major sell off; bitcoin declined by 20% after the website was taken down. It might have been hard to believe then, but the crackdown was probably the best thing that happened for the currency. It helped clean up bitcoin's shady side, bringing it closer to the mainstream financial system.

????Since the Silk Road crackdown, bitcoin has made huge gains, and whether it flourishes in the U.S. isn't really the issue. In recent weeks, China has overwhelmingly driven up the price of bitcoin. About a third of the currency's transactions now flow through the BTC China exchange, which is open only to Chinese users, according to Bitcoin Charts, which provides bitcoin data. BTC recently unseated Tokyo-based Mt. Gox as the world's largest exchange by trading volume, and executives say it plans to use its latest round of funding to "aggressively grow and expand the business."

????Why the bitcoin love in China? It's surprising Beijing hasn't intervened, as the Chinese government generally keeps a heavy hand over its economy. Bitcoin is volatile, but its price has gone up more than 30-fold this year.