BITCOIN $1000

The value of one Bitcoin has surpassed $1,000 on the Mt. Gox exchange.

Demand has surged this month as demand from China picked up, and the digital currency received coverage as it underwent two days of Senate hearings. Ben Bernanke also issued a statement saying digital currencies like Bitcoin "may hold long term promise," though this referred more to the innovations in payment processing they were ushering in - he did not endorse Bitcoin itself, nor did he suggest the future of commerce lay in virtual money.

Yesterday we reported how the value of SecondMarket's Bitcoin Trust surpassed $50 million.

Gold, meanwhile, is at $1,248.