Investing.com - Bitcoin prices plunged below the $200-level on Wednesday to hit the lowest level in more than a year as investors exited the market amid bearish chart signals.
According to data at the major Bitcoin exchanges, order books are showing a spike in volume, largely from sell orders, over the past 48 hours.
Bitcoin (BTC/USD) tumbled $24.59, or 10.49%, to trade at $209.91 on Slovenia-based BitStamp during U.S. morning hours, after hitting a session low of $152.40, a level not seen since April 2013.
A day earlier, BitStamp prices fell $41.08, or 15.38%, to end at $226.00, as sentiment remained weak following last week's data breach.
Hackers stole nearly 19,000 bitcoins valued at approximately $5 million from BitStamp on January 5. The exchange then went offline for four days before reopening on Friday, January 9.
The price of a bitcoin on Bulgaria-based BTC-e plunged $30.71, or 13.31%, to trade at $199.98, while prices on Singapore-based itBit dropped $16.79, or 7.29%, to trade at $213.49.
According to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index, which averages prices from the major exchanges, prices of the crypto-currency lost $19.36, or 8.53%, to trade at $207.62.
Prices of the virtual currency are trading at around the same levels before the bull-run in the autumn of 2013, which took prices to an all-time high near the $1,240-level in late November 2013.
Meanwhile, euro-denominated Bitcoin prices BTC/EUR sank €14.58, or 7.49%, to trade at €180.00 on U.S.-based Kraken Exchange.
Elsewhere, yuan-denominated Bitcoin prices on Shanghai-based BTC China slumped 147.40 yuan, or 10.86%, to trade at 1,201.01 yuan, while prices on Beijing-based OKCoin fell 228.70 yuan, or 15.94%, to trade at 1,206.10 yuan.
Bitcoin is digital cash and is not backed by a government or central bank to regulate or issue it. It can be used to purchase goods and services from stores and online retailers.
Bitcoin’s market cap has been on a steady decline in recent months, even as the virtual currency has been getting more popular with merchants and retailers, including PayPal, Expedia, Overstock.com and Dell.