Ethereum 2.0 staking, a worthwhile investment? January 19, 2021 Background The Ethereum network today is overrun with traffic, causing transaction fees to spike to levels that are not affordable for many use cases. This is partially due to the success of DeFi projects, where users don’t mind paying the high transaction fees because of the financial value of the transactions being made. (In Ethereum, [...]
Health secretary Matt Hancock self-isolating after NHS app alert January 19, 2021 Matt Hancock is self-isolating after receiving an alert from the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app. The health secretary today said he had been “pinged” by the app and would not be leaving his house until Sunday. “This self-isolating is perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing,” he said in a video posted [...]
Experian reports ‘better-than-expected’ quarter as revenue grows January 19, 2021 Credit scoring giant Experian (EXPN) reported a better-than-expected third quarter after a strong performance by its North America division. Total revenue at constant exchange rates grew 10 per cent in the three months to the end of December. Experian’s North America and Latin America divisions grew 11 and 16 per cent respectively, but the UK [...]
What next for social media regulation in the post-Trump world? January 19, 2021 Two weeks on from the storming of the US Capitol the social media excision of the 45th US President is so extensive, the holder of the most powerful office in the world is presently unable to log in to Pinterest to create a mood board for his impending house move. His exclusion has drawn condemnation from [...]
Rishi Sunak mulls over a UK corporation tax hike in March Budget January 18, 2021 Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering raising corporation tax in the upcoming March Budget in a bid to pay off some of the UK government’s Covid spending bill. The chancellor is also now expected to increase business support in the 3 March Budget by extending the furlough scheme and Covid business loan programme. Senior government sources [...]
Salaries for those who kept their jobs through pandemic rose in 2020, says Reed January 18, 2021 Salaries for those who kept their jobs through pandemic rose in 2020, says Reed
In memoriam: Ian Taylor 1946-2020 January 16, 2021 Ian Taylor, who died in June of last year, ran Vitol for two decades. He was well-liked in the City not just for his business acumen, but for his philanthropy – which, it was revealed last week, continued after his death. Bloomberg reported he left £1m to the Royal Opera House and significantly more than [...]
Why it’s easier to spend bitcoin than £50 notes January 15, 2021 Recently a friend of mine came into possession of a number of £50 notes. If I told you too much I would have to kill you, but it apparently involved a number of Covid-19 tests, a trip to Pakistan, some Kashmiri carpets and a large man from Barbados. I know some interesting people. I thought [...]
London needs offices to thrive to secure its global future January 15, 2021 Are cities dead? There are plenty who think so – but Britain should hope they’re wrong. “The history book has not yet been written for cities” is the rallying cry emanating from Government. Those were Rishi Sunak’s words, echoing the Prime Minister’s faith when he spoke with FTSE 250 leaders last week that, post-pandemic, we [...]
CES 2021: Gadgets that wowed us in the first all-digital Las Vegas show January 14, 2021 The first all-digital Consumer Electronics Show has come to an end, and while the event was a little more subdued than normal, there were still some gadgets on show that blew us away. Whether by virtue of their brilliance or their strangeness, here are the gadgets that caught our eye during CES 2021. Razer Project [...]