So bitcoin has been stable for a while..

[ThatDGuy]

High volatility --> More speculators to buy the dips and sell the peaks --> Low volatility --> More interest from everyday people
--> Price rise --> High volatility ....

Wash, rinse, repeat until $1 million/BTC.

Correct, and the biggest peaks attract that much more money/attention from new fiat investors as they see the potential for the market and use their $ to improve BTC infrastructure - and become vested in the gains from it.  This, in theory, allows greater numbers of everyday people to spend, save, or speculate with BTC easier than before.

[glendall]

I pretty much agree with everything arsenische said, and concur that people are consolidating right now.  

But now that is settled any other theories ?  I remember reading something about MTGOX changing it's policy on bots, or limiting bots some how (or may the volume of thos 0.01 trades) around the time that this period of stability began. I wonder if that is a factor; I can't recall too many more specific details about it though, it might have happened or maybe someone just postulated that ...

[bobdude17]

My theory was that the high rollers were holding the price steady for the Bitcoin Conference in Silicon Valley.
I DO still think it is being held, but we are past the conference so I'm not sure what for. Everybody getting ready getting infrastructure prepared for massive buys, and then letting the horses loose? That's my next guess.

I'm sorry, but with all that has been happening with Bitcoin lately, I think this price is artificial.

[ktttn]

Personally, I'm sitting tight and waiting to see what Gox comes back with regarding the CoinLab and Dwolla situations.  Absent a reasonable solution there, I probably won't be trading much on Gox anymore.  I suspect many others have the same wait-and-see attitude.

Also waiting for Kraken

+1
Kraken, yo.
Also I heard Max Keiser is starting a gold silver BTC exchange.