"History will teach us that 2017 was the year that digital currencies came into the mainstream. Our digital world needs digital currencies. It makes sense."
Explain the difference
Investors considering adding a little risk and excitement to a portfolio may well want to consider cryptocurrency as part of an overall plan, but commentators are adamant such investors must be well-versed in the difference between a speculative investment and a long-term growth trend.
"Our analysis shows very little correlation between Bitcoin and traditional safe-haven assets," Ms Chovin says. "This suggests the rise and fall in price has little to do with risk or economic sentiment and is being driven purely by speculation.
"Buyers of Bitcoin act as if they were only concerned about selling at a higher price, something reminiscent of bubbles."
Adrian Ash, director of research for gold specialist BullionVault, is even more scathing, particularly as plenty of pro-crypto commentary in December last year had called it the "new gold" and advocated using it as a hedge against markets and the US dollar.
He says: "Whether or not bitcoin ever achieves common use as money, the crypto-currency plainly offers investors a hot speculation and not a safe haven.
"Anyone thinking Bitcoin is going to replace gold as the ultimate financial insurance is missing 5,000 years of history, specific gravity of 19.32 [the density of gold as a tangible asset], and the fact that crypto spent 2017 surging alongside stocks, fine art and junk bonds.
"Investment insurance should zag when risk assets zig. Bitcoin, in contrast, went vertical."
But over time, the investment case for cryptocurrency as part of an overall portfolio will become clearer. This is the view of David Coker, lecturer in accounting, finance and governance at the Westminster Business School.
He believes the "notorious adrenaline junkies" taking advantage of volatility to buy in and out of cryptocurrencies every time regulators issued a statement will have to make the most of these violent swings while they can, because "calm is coming to the cryptocurrency market".
"Over time as the market becomes increasingly dominated by institutional players, price swings will become the exception rather than the norm," he adds. As Bitcoin as a tradable asset grows out of this infancy stage and becomes a more mature market, volatility will start to reduce over time.
Taxation
Wherever there is a potential new wealth-earner for humans, the tax man is never far behind. It didn't take long for HM Revenue & Customs in the UK and the IRS in the US to wake up to the possibility that cryptocurrency could be a potential source of revenue when it comes to gains or VAT.
