Investing.com - Prices of web-based digital currency Bitcoin rallied for the tenth day in a row on Thursday, closing in on its all-time high set back in 2013.
Bitcoin rose to a daily peak of $1,152.08 on the New York-based itBit exchange at one point, before falling back to $1,148.00 by 9:50AM ET (14:50GMT), up about 1.9% on the day.
Other big exchanges such as Bitfinex, Kraken and BitStamp also showed the cryptocurrency at around the $1,150-level early Thursday.
According to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index, which averages prices from the major exchanges, prices of the crypto-currency climbed 2%, to $1,144.87.
Its all-time of $1,165.89 was set in November 2013.
Buyers have been piling into bitcoin in anticipation the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will approve at least one of the three proposed bitcoin-focused exchange-traded funds by the March 11 deadline.
Prices of the virtual currency are up more than 17% so far this year.
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.