MADRID (MarketWatch) -- Virtual currency bitcoin surged to a fresh record on Thursday, with prices pushing past $300 on the exchange Mt. Gox. Bitcoin last traded at $311.68 after reaching a session high of $321.51 so far. The new record high takes out Wednesday's high of $272.52, which topped an intraday high from $266 in April. Analysts said global awareness of bitcoin has been the latest driver for prices. @bitcoinvalue said on Twitter that the virtual currency has gained 44.6% in the last seven days.