The twin brothers who sued Mark Zuckerberg claiming he stole the idea for Facebook are worth more than $1 billion after capitalising on the astonishing rise in bitcoin.

A $US11 million ($14 million) bet on bitcoin made by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss more than four years ago has ballooned by almost 10,000 per cent after last week's price surge. It is believed to be the first billion-dollar return made by a cryptocurrency investor, a landmark moment for the controversial asset.

Bitcoin hit $11,395 last week, capping a boom that started a year ago and accelerated dramatically in recent days, despite a chorus of warnings about its threat to financial stability and potential for criminal exploitation.

The rise has made millionaires out of many of its early backers but the Winklevoss twins are believed to be the first public figures to have turned an investment into more than $1 billion.