n what some hope will be a sign of maturity (and a harbinger of positive returns) for the struggling market,  volatility in the world's oldest cryptocurrency has fallen to their lowest levels in 17 months, since before last year's spectacular bubble. Meanwhile, trading volume has also tapered off, which has prompted Bloomberg to question: Are we at an inflection point in the market, and if we are, is this the start of a new phase for Bitcoin? Or is it the beginning of the end?

Lower volume might disappoint exchanges that handle trading in bitcoin futures.

But technicals suggest the price could be on the verge of a breakout. As Bloomberg explains, neither a strong positive or negative divergence has occurred over the past month. The last time bitcoin traded in this pattern back in June, its price jumped from around $5,900 to around $8,200.