http://mashable.com/2013/10/15/baidu-bitcoin/For Bitcoin, this partnership comes at a crucial time. After the feds busted the online drug bazaar Silk Road and seized all its Bitcoins — roughly 5% of the total in circulations — some speculated that it was the end of the virtual currency. But after dropping dramatically, Bitcoin's price has recovered, reaching a five-month high.
See also: 8 Vendors You Didn't Know Accepted Bitcoins
Now, the digital currency gets the backing of a real Internet giant. Baidu is the fifth most-visited website in the world and China's top site, according to Alexa.
"This is encouraging news, even more so since it is from China and with a NASDAQ-listed company," John Matonis, executive director of the Bitcoin Foundation, told Mashable in an email.