Richard Branson bets on Bitcoin with new stake in payment firm May 13, 2014 BITPAY, the Atlanta-based Bitcoin payments processor, has reportedly raised $30m (£17.8m), and Richard Branson is one of the investors. In an email cited by the Wall Street Journal, the business magnate took the opportunity to make a statement about virtual currency more widely, saying: “Banking as we know it is in the midst of enormous [...]
How Richard Branson’s getting behind virtual currency May 13, 2014 Bitpay, the Atlanta-based Bitcoin payments processor has reportedly raised $30m (£17.8m), and Richard Branson is one of the investors. In an email cited by the Wall Street Journal, the business magnate took the opportunity to make a statement about virtual currency more widely, saying: “Banking as we know it is in the midst of enormous change [...]
Boris Bypass below-ground route revealed May 12, 2014 LONDON officials yesterday shed more light on where Boris Johnson’s planned £30bn underground ring road in central London would be built. The inner orbital tunnel, which is in “the very early stage” of planning according to City Hall, could offer two underground river crossings for motorists and link up to Hackney Wick. The Mayor of [...]
Euro plummets as Draghi hints at rate cuts in June May 8, 2014 THE EUROPEAN Central Bank (ECB) gave the clearest signal yet of even further monetary easing yesterday, prompting a rapid drop in the euro. ECB president Mario Draghi said that the institution is now “comfortable with acting next time”, following his staff’s latest projections of the economic climate, which will be published early in June. The [...]
Keen Steen ruins yesterday’s tie guesses but Draghi’s not playing May 8, 2014 MARIO Draghi’s numero uno press man Michael Steen caused a storm on Twitter yesterday by posting a photograph of his boss ahead of a European Central Bank policy decision meeting, because it revealed the colour of his tie ahead of time. Each month people try to guess what colour the ECB president’s tie will be [...]
Mario Draghi knows about the tie guesses May 8, 2014 Earlier today, Mario Draghi’s numero uno press man Michael Steen caused a storm on Twitter by posting a photograph of Mr Draghi ahead of his European Central Bank policy decision meeting, because it revealed the colour of his tie ahead of time. To the uninitiated it might sound a bit loopy but each month [...]
Euro sinks as Draghi suggests action at next ECB meeting May 8, 2014 Signs of action from the European Central Bank has whacked the euro. President Mario Draghi has said that the central bank could act at its next meeting, in June, and it's whalloped the currency. Draghi's wording: "The governing council is comfortable about acting next time." The ECB is clearly aware of its inflation problem, with [...]
The ECB’s new press chief just killed the Draghi tie guesses game May 8, 2014 It's that Thursday of the month again, and finance Twitter is getting ready for the big event. Many would traditionally have spent the morning making their forecasts. Not on the subject of European Central Bank policy (their monthly decision is out at 12.00pm), but on what colour tie President Mario Draghi would be wearing at [...]
Chinese trade data and dovish Yellen boost Asian markets May 8, 2014 Asian markets have been boosted by a recovery in Chinese exports and imports as well as Federal Reserve chairman Janet Yellen's commitment that the Fed will continue to support the US economy. Chinese export growth rose from -6.6 per cent year-on-year in March to 0.9 per cent in April, outperforming Bloomberg's median estimate of minus [...]
Yellen: Low rates to stay as labour market still unsatisfactory May 7, 2014 Janet Yellen has today defended the US’s central bank’s accommodative policy, saying it still remains warranted – it’s not rushing to raise interest rates. Giving her testimony to Congress, this is Yellen’s first opportunity to speak following April’s improved jobs figures. Dismissing concerns over growth stangation in the first quarter – which, she said, were [...]