Bitcoin value spikes after hacker demands ransom in the currency

Sometimes a hack has unexpected outcomes. Today, a hacker who claims to have obtained Mitt Romney’s tax returns is demanding a ransom of $1 million in Bitcoins. The hacker probably didn’t expect to improve the market for Bitcoins overall, but that’s exactly what happened, as the value of Bitcoins spiked about 6 percent today, from $10.40 per Bitcoin to about $11 per Bitcoin at the end of the day.