Baillie Gifford launches UK’s first ever tokenised fund June 22, 2026 Baillie Gifford has launched the UK’s first ever fully tokenised investment fund, in a move that will grant savers the opportunity to invest in short-dated bonds via blockchain-based tokens. The Scottish investment house unveiled its Enhanced Yield Fund on Tuesday, with a mandate actively to manage investors money in a variety of short-term corporate and [...]
Bank of England waters down stablecoin rules after industry backlash June 22, 2026 The Bank of England has diluted its incoming stablecoin rules after warnings from currency providers that the UK risked falling behind rival jurisdictions in a rapidly growing pocket of the global financial system. In its final framework for regulating the fledgling currencies, which are a digital form of money whose value is pegged to another [...]
Cryptoasset approvals surge as FCA softens stance May 26, 2026 The approval rate for cryptoasset firm registrations has surged, City AM can reveal, in signs the UK’s financial watchdog is softening its stance towards the crypto industry. As many as 13 cryptoasset firm registrations were approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the year to April 2026, a more than doubling compared to 2024, [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden: Digital gilt will bring down borrowing costs May 20, 2026 The Bank of England’s plans to help launch a digital gilt will make Britain’s sovereign debt more appealing to a wider pool of investors and help bring down government borrowing costs, its deputy governor has said. Speaking to City AM at the City Week conference, Sarah Breeden hailed the central bank’s efforts to help the [...]
What does new City minister Rachel Blake have in store for the Square Mile? May 15, 2026 The Westminster drama has hit the City in more ways than one. After Wes Streeting’s resignation triggered a mini-reshuffle, Felix Armstrong and Samuel Norman take a look at what the new City minister might have in store. In just under two years, the City has its fourth minister. Tulip Siddiq resigned in January 2025 after [...]
Farage to face probe on £5m gift from Harborne May 13, 2026 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is set to be investigated by the parliamentary standards committee after he received a £5m donation from Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before being elected as an MP. Farage will be probed on whether he broke a code of conduct for MPs on failing to declare the large gift [...]
Coinbase to slash 14 per cent of workforce amid AI impact and market volatility May 5, 2026 Crypto exchange Coinbase is planning to cut 14 per cent of its workforce just two days head of its next earnings report, citing a need to manage costs amid ongoing market volatility and advances in AI. Chief executive Brian Armstrong said on Tuesday that AI was speeding up certain processes meaning fewer employees were required [...]
Eight London sites raided in peer-to-peer crypto trading bust April 22, 2026 The City watchdogs, working with HMRC and the Regional Organised Crime Unit, have carried out the first crackdown on illegal crypto trading across multiple London locations. The enforcement targeted eight premises in London suspected of illegal peer-to-peer crypto trading by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The traders were issued cease-and-desist letters at each site, notifying [...]
FCA crypto U-turn – everything retail investors need to know April 22, 2026 After banning crypto Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) for retail customers in January 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reversed its position in October 2025, meaning retail investors can once again purchase exchange-listed crypto instruments, such as ETNs. According to FCA research, conducted in conjunction with YouGov, 91 per cent of UK consumers are aware of cryptoassets. [...]
Nigel Farage’s crypto punt is unlikely to end well April 22, 2026 Nakamoto, a Bitcoin treasury company that promised a similar vision to Farage’s Stack BTC, is a cautionary tale for investors, says Tim Focas Nigel Farage’s £275,000 stake in Stack BTC, a London listed Bitcoin treasury company chaired by Kwasi Kwarteng, certainly guarantees headlines, but unfortunately, it also attracts copycat investors. Through his ironically named Thorn [...]