Bitcoin futures jumped more than 20 percent in their eagerly anticipated US debut, which backers hope will encourage wider use and legitimacy for the world's largest cryptocurrency even as critics warn of the risk of a bubble and price collapse.

Bitcoin ploughed past $14,000 to a fresh record on Thursday as investors continued to pile in, triggering a warning the cryptocurrency was "like a charging train with no brakes" that would inevitably slip back.

Bitcoin slid to as low as $9,000 on Thursday, having lost more than a fifth of its value since hitting an all-time high of $11,395 on Wednesday.

Hackers have diverted more than $50 million in digital currency from an experimental fund meant to demonstrate that such money is safe for use, according to the New York Times.