Much of this has been due to uncertainty over regulatory moves by governments around the world, in reaction to what was a revolutionary year for the cryptocurrency market as a whole. (links2exchange.net)
With governments around the world continuing to print money and debt levels dangerously high, gold provides insurance against financial market uncertainty. (hardassetsalliance.com)
With wider acceptance, there may also come some regulation from governments around the world, but this might not be the killing blow that many bitcoin users fear. (finder.com)