Bitcoin Tops $1,000

11 months ago one Bitcoin worth a little over $10

The value of a bitcoin has topped $1,000, a mere 11 months after the fledgling digital currency was worth little more than a $10 bill.

As of 7:25 a.m. Pacific time this morning, bitcoins were trading at $1,041 on Mt. Gox, the world's most prominent bitcoin exchange, a place where you can swap federal monies, such as dollars and yen, for the digital currency.

The price of a bitcoin has surged in recent weeks, likely driven by heavy demand in China and by public statements from U.S. financial authorities that seemed to endorse the digital currency — at least in part. Bitcoin prices topped $1,000 on a Chinese exchange last week, before hitting that mark on Mt. Gox, which is based in Japan but is used worldwide, including here in the U.S.