Bitcoin (EXANTE: Bitcoin) tumbled more than 12 percent in volatile Asian trading on Friday, dropping below the $15,000 level after touching a record high above $16,000 earlier in the session, Reuters reported.
Bitcoin was down 12.6 percent on the Bitstamp exchange at $14,500.76 as of 0530 GMT, after rising to a record $16,666.66 BTC=BTSP.
It was still up more than 30 percent for the week, as investors debated about whether the cryptocurrency was in a bubble that was about to burst.
In trading on the Coinbase exchange, Bitcoin hit a high of $19,340 Thursday before falling more than 20 percent from that level to $15,198.63.