For the first time, Bitcoin has reached a the $1,000 mark at MTGox. Less than a year ago, you could buy one Bitcoin for about $15.00. That is a 7000% increase in less than a year.
Can Bitcoin reach $10,000 by the end of 2014? It would seem silly to bet against it. A price of $10,000 would only be an increase of 1000% over the next 12 months. That is 1/7 the growth rate of the trailing 12 months. If one major retailer, such as Amazon, decided to accept the method of payment it could happen within weeks. The opposite is also true, if the Chinese government decided to outlaw Bitcoin it could drop back to $15.00 just as quickly.
If you came here looking for price assurance, it can not be offered. We can, however, predict that by the end of 2014 the price of 1 Bitcoin will looks something like this: $15.00 < 1BTC < $10,000. Buckle up, or some of you will be thrown from the vehicle.