  Based on 1-minute price changes recorded since year 2012, the fluctuation
properties of the rapidly-emerging Bitcoin (BTC) market are assessed over
chosen sub-periods, in terms of return distributions, volatility
autocorrelation, Hurst exponents and multiscaling effects. The findings are
compared to the stylized facts of mature world markets. While early trading was
affected by system-specific irregularities, it is found that over the months
preceding Apr 2018 all these statistical indicators approach the features
hallmarking maturity. This can be taken as an indication that the Bitcoin
market, and possibly other cryptocurrencies, carry concrete potential of
imminently becoming a regular market, alternative to the foreign exchange
(Forex). Since high-frequency price data are available since the beginning of
trading, the Bitcoin offers a unique window into the statistical
characteristics of a market maturation trajectory.
