Blue Prism shares jump as new suitor makes takeover offer November 16, 2021 A new suitor has entered the race to snap up a British software company days before investors were due to vote on a £1.1bn offer. A US tech business has swooped into contention for ownership of Blue Prism making a preliminary proposal at £12 per share which valued the company at £1.2bn and caused its [...]
The US’ largest grantmaker receives $274m in crypto donations November 16, 2021 As the world’s top digital assets flirt with new all time highs charities are receiving multi million dollar donations in crypto. Fidelity Charitable, the US’ largest grantmaker, has received more than $274m (£203m) in cryptocurrency contributions so far this year — nearly quadruple its prior record of $69m in 2017 according to a company spokesperson. [...]
Banks lose out as Brits join the open finance craze under lockdown November 15, 2021 Brits dissatisfied with services offered by traditional banks are being lured into the world of open finance in increasing numbers. During the pandemic, challenger banks and fintechs tripled their share of the credit card market and grew their personal loan books by 50 per cent according to new data from ClearScore. The research showed that [...]
The crypto industry is a ‘two front war’ says Blockchain.com’s strategy lead November 15, 2021 Blockchain.com’s chief strategy officer called the crypto industry a ‘two front war’ in which traditional institutions are struggling to keep up with grassroots innovation. Charlie McGarraugh, joined representatives from Coinbase, GSR and Enigma Securities to discuss institutional access to the crypto market at the Digital Asset Summit. Speaking in London today McGarraugh of crypto exchange [...]
CBDCs will dominate the future of digital payments – Credit Suisse November 15, 2021 The head of distributed ledger technology for Credit Suisse believes that digital currencies backed by central banks (CBDCs) are the future of payments. Representatives from international banks and crypto projects Bitstamp and Fireblocks debated the future of electronic payments at the Digital Asset Summit – a crypto conference held in London today. “There’s a value [...]
Not going out: sales down 4.5 per cent for pubs, bars and restaurants November 15, 2021 The hospitality sector is struggling to bounce back from Covid-19 as Brits take a cautious attitude to spending post-lockdown. Rolling sales for managed pubs, bars and restaurants are down 4.5 per cent over the past 12 months as the sector continues to be hit hard by supply chain pressures, high energy prices and recruitment issues. [...]
Sainsbury’s unveils Christmas ad celebrating families finally coming together November 14, 2021 Sainsbury’s festive advert ‘A Christmas to Savour’ aired for the first time this evening on ITV Networks during the Angela Black Special. The advert celebrates the enjoyment of friends and family coming together after last minute lockdown restrictions scuppered Christmas plans for many Brits last year. To encourage everyone to savour the moment this year [...]
Bitcoin’s long awaited Taproot upgrade has arrived November 14, 2021 The first major upgrade in four years is now live on the Bitcoin network, opening the door to greater privacy, security and scalability. Bitcoin has been making headlines all week after it approached the $70k mark for the first time and set a new all time high. Hype has been surrounding the world’s oldest cryptocurrency [...]
US-listed Sun Communities snaps up Park Holidays for £900m November 14, 2021 A New York-listed real estate investment fund has reportedly won a fiercely contested auction to snap up UK staycation giant Park Holidays. Capitalising on the post-lockdown staycation boom, Sun Communities has made an offer in the region of £900m to pick up the company’s 42 UK caravan holiday parks, Sky News first reported. The deal [...]
Austria’s unvaccinated face tough national lockdown November 14, 2021 Austria has announced a sweeping nationwide lockdown for people who are not fully vaccinated beginning from midnight. The move prohibits some 2m unvaccinated people from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, going for a walk or getting vaccinated. Austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with [...]
