SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — After a wild week in which Bitcoin soared to new heights, Bitcoin is crossing the $50,000 mark. Bitcoin rallied last week as more companies signaled the volatile digital currency could eventually gain widespread acceptance as a means of payment for goods and services. Bitcoin has been mostly seen as a store of value, like gold, with some limited merchants accepting it for payment. Last Monday, Elon Musk’s electric car company, Tesla, announced that it had bought $1.5 billion of Bitcoin and would soon accept it as payment for its high-end cars. It remains unclear how many major companies will follow Tesla’s lead. Analysts predict a slow evolution toward widespread usage. Bitcoin is up about 4% Tuesday.
