Bitcoin is now sizing up to be what could be the biggest market bubble of all time, according to CNBC, and others. Analysts at Birinyi Associates said bitcoin now looks to be bigger than any of the ten other market bubbles it studied including the tech bubble, the Dow in 1929 and the silver bubble of the late 1970s. Bitcoin was trading at about US$16,235 yesterday morning, rising from US$1,000 at the start of the year, and US$11,000 at the beginning of last week. Three US exchanges have rushed to launch bitcoin products: futures started trading on the Cboe last weekend, with a separate contract expected to launch at the CME this weekend. Nasdaq also plans to offer futures next year. Deutsche Boerse executives are also reportedly considering the introduction of futures contracts for bitcoin. Britain's markets regulator did not shepherd Lloyds Banking Group towards buying struggling peer HBOS during the financial crisis in 2008 although it supported the deal, its former chief executive told London's High Court on Thursday. Reuters reports that Hector Sants, the chief executive of the now defunct Financial Services Authority from 2007 to 2012, told a court case brought by thousands of Lloyds shareholders that the regulator was focused on ensuring banks were adequately capitalised to weather roiling markets. Around 6,000 shareholders are suing Lloyds and five former executives, including ex-CEO Eric Daniels, for more than £550 million in damages, alleging they concealed HBOS's true financial state and breached their duties by recommending the purchase nine years ago.