So is this what's known as a flash crash?
Any reason for the drop or was this all par for the course settling back down to a norm after a brief "rally" up?
I'm surprised to see it nearing $600 but can't say I'm disappointed. I bought my first bitcoin at 399 after fees. I still wanted it to drop to $100 or less so I could buy even more. Been buying it (going up) ever since, and will keep on buying it until the day bitcoin ceases to exist. I feel the same way just buying about $760 worth last week, waiting on it to transfer over. I totally don't mind if it drops to 300 or 200 again, or 4-500...because my only response is cool, I can buy even more.
I think many people feel the same way so when we're all buying, the demand is showing, which will move the price back up, right?
I think a flash crash is more like when the buy walls are broken through completely and the price of something drops to zero or near zero briefly. It happened not too long ago on btc-e.
Sometimes it can be caused by technical glitches like when it happened in the American Market a while back.