The price of Bitcoin skyrocketed Wednesday December 16th, jumping from around $19,800 per digital token to as high as $20,696. The surge, which unfolded in a matter of hours starting at 8 a.m. ET, marks new all-time high prices for the original cryptocurrency. Because it has a fixed issuance rate and is substantially immune from governmental intervention, advocates have often touted Bitcoin as a hedge against social or economic instability. Specifically, Bitcoin has been a ma