Price fluctuations in the Bitcoin spot rate on the Bitcoin exchanges is driven by many factors. Volatility is measured in traditional markets by the Volatility Index, also known as the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). Volatility in Bitcoin does not yet have a generally accepted index since cryptocurrency as an asset class is still in its nascent stages, but we do know that Bitcoin is capable of volatility in the form of 10x changes in price versus the U.S. dollar, in a relatively short period of time (See the Investopedia Bitcoin Center for current updates on the price of bitcoin).