[nacker]

The increased demand seems to be largely from current users rather than new users, as this chart shows:

http://blockchain.info/charts/n-unique-addresses

[netcan]

That doesn't sound like a bad thing.

[nacker]

Not saying it's good or bad, but when people hear that demand for BTC is increasing, the natural assumption is that it is attracting lots of new participants. What seems to be happening instead is that the people who have already surmounted the hurdles involved in becoming users are responding to the positive press recently by doubling and tripling down on their bets. The stats don't indicate a large wave of new users - yet.