However, today, among the top 10 cryptocurrency groups by market capitalization, Ripple (+ 24%) and Litecoin (+ 15%) outperform bitcoin. Litecoin performed better last week as well (+ 20%).
The other major currencies are up 3% -10% in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin's dominance, or percentage of total market capitalization, is over 64% today. In November, it was still at 60%.
“Bitcoin’s rise to over $ 20,000 is another milestone in an epic year for digital currencies,” said Paolo Arduino, Bitfinex's chief technology officer.
"But the main story is not about speculation or trade. Bitcoin represents a massive technological shift, the consequences of which are just beginning to emerge. Critics should pay attention to the quiet dedication of those building layers on this technology that will change the nature of money by the end of this decade."
Kai Van Petersen, global strategist at Saxo Capital Markets Pte in Singapore, told Bloomberg that “price will now move from linear to par” in part because retail investors have so far been “off this rally”.