Bitcoin Auction Draws Wall Street, Silicon Valley Bidders

Buyers from Wall Street to Silicon Valley are lining up to bid on a cache of bitcoins worth about $17 million, underscoring the interest in the digital currency even after its boom and bust.

Pantera Capital Management, a San Francisco hedge fund backed by Fortress Investment Group, and SecondMarket Inc., a New York brokerage, are among those seeking to buy bitcoins from the U.S. government at an auction scheduled for June 27. A broad swath of interested parties, from individuals to institutional investors, have requested information from the U.S. Marshals Service, which is handling the sale.