Bitcoin price surges as futures trading begins, despite bubble warnings – business live

Bitcoin has made its hotly anticipated launch onto the futures market, but some analysts and central bankers are still urging caution

Introduction: Bitcoin futures trading has arrived...
...and the price has jumped.
January futures price rises from $15,000 to over $18,000
Circuit trading halted twice amid volatile trading
New Zealand central banker: It still looks like a bubble
UBS: Best to ignore it.
Markets calm as bitcoin flies
Bitcoin is hogging most of the action in the financial markets today.

In the City, the FTSE 100 has risen by 45 points - or 0.6% - in a gentle trading session. European markets are more subdued, with France’s CAC index as flat as un crêpe.
Connor Campbell of City firm SpreadEx comments:

While investors go doolally for bitcoin futures, the more traditional markets were pretty dreary this Monday.

The jump in bitcoin futures today has calmed fears of a crash, says Craig Erlam of OANDA:

Bitcoin is back trading near record highs this morning, allaying fears for now that the ability to short would trigger a sell-off.