The Bitcoin price is often referred to the Tulip bulb bubble called Tulip Mania, by very uninformed "experts." After doing some actual research I've come up with some comparisons.

-Bitcoin is a competing currency, in a world full of currency monopolies. Bitcoin has a caped total supply fiat currencies, and Tulip bulbs do not.

-Tulips were a luxury item, you know how much people pay for a shinny rock, a fast car while the roads have speeding limits, or a gold plated watch?

-Tulip Mania happened during the bubonic plague likely investors were taking higher risks then normal, thinking "I could die tomorrow," or "I need money to fight the plague."

-The collapse began in Haarlem, when, buyers apparently refused to show up at a bulb auction. This happened when Haarlem was at the height of a bubonic plague outbreak. I don't believe the bubonic plague can travel to the bitcoin exchanges trough the internet tubes. Anyways we already did have a disease attack on an exchange, it's called Mt. Gox, and we have survived it.

Next time someone calls Bitcoin Tulip Mania, just call them Parrots.