Barring some insane rally or plunge, the price of a bitcoin is going to end the year down sharply from its price one year ago. Bitcoin ended 2013 at $757 – nearly 60% higher than Wednesday’s price of around $315. It’s off even farther from the December 2013 all-time high of $1,147.

But as we’ve argued, the price of bitcoin isn’t really the most important measure of its impact.