Bitcoin climbs above the $400-level

Investing.com - Bitcoin prices reclaimed the key $400-level on Tuesday, as investors continued to snap up the virtual currency after prices fell to an 11-month low earlier in the month.

Bitcoin ( ) rose to a session high of $417.99 on Slovenia-based BitStamp earlier in the day, the strongest level since September 25.

Prices last traded at $406.48 during U.S. morning hours, up $16.51, or 4.23%. Bitcoin tumbled to an 11-month low of $275.00 on October 6.

The price of a bitcoin on Bulgaria-based tacked on $12.32, or 3.21%, to trade at $396.62, while prices on Singapore-based picked up $2.23, or 0.57%, to trade at $390.18.

According to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index, which averages prices from the major exchanges, prices of the crypto-currency rallied 2.99% to trade at $400.01.

Prices of the virtual currency have recouped all of the losses suffered earlier in the month as investors returned to the market to seek cheap valuations.

A number of traders and market analysts attributed the recent slide to price manipulation by short-term profiteers who are deliberately driving prices down to eventually buy them back at lows.

Meanwhile, euro-denominated Bitcoin prices ( ) jumped €10.08, or 3.28%, to trade at €316.98 on U.S.-based Kraken Exchange.

Elsewhere, yuan-denominated Bitcoin prices edged up CNY66.05, or 2.78%, to trade at CNY2,443.92 yuan on Shanghai-based , while prices tacked on CNY61.85, or 2.6%, to trade at CNY2,444.72 on Beijing-based .

Bitcoin is digital cash and is not backed by a government or central bank to regulate or issue it. It can be used to purchase goods and services from stores and online retailers.

Prices of the virtual currency are down nearly 45% from its June highs of $683, and roughly 70% below its all-time high near the $1,240-level hit in late November 2013.

Bitcoin’s market cap is down to just $4 billion, after peaking at $13.9 billion in December 2013, even as the virtual currency has been getting more popular with merchants and retailers in recent months, including PayPal, Expedia, Overstock.com and Dell.