Bank of England waters down stablecoin rules after industry backlash Regulation 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 [...]
City chiefs issue rallying cry to counter ‘disinformation’ about London’s decline London A group of influential City chiefs have thrown their weight behind an industry-wide campaign to tackle “disinformation about London” and promote the capital as an innovative hub for global investment. All four of the financial sector’s largest industry bodies have signed up to Team UK, a new initiative spearheaded by the Lady Mayor of London, [...]
A ‘safe harbour’? London needs more ambition than that Opinion Boring stability might win London short-term preference, but it won't see us win the race for any bigger prizes, writes Janine Hirt.
Alastair Lukies: AI is humanising tech and will positively impact us all March 19, 2026 Fintech pioneer Alastair Lukies takes us through his career, from Monitise to his new AI endeavour, in this week's Square Mile and Me.
Exclusive: Fintech unicorns lukewarm on Reeves’ stamp duty holiday February 18, 2026 Two of Britain’s most exciting IPO candidates have told peers that the Treasury’s recent overhaul of stamp duty on shares will not be enough to convince them to list in London, Morning Wire can reveal. Payments giant Zilch and banking software provider Thought Machine both used a recent meeting of industry heavyweights to raise concerns [...]
Fintechs should avoid ‘trap’ of early IPO, warns top London VC investor January 26, 2026 Fintech firms considering joining the public markets should avoid the “trap” of floating too early or risk “disaster”, a top London venture capital investor has warned. Speaking at an Innovate Finance panel discussion chaired by Morning Wire, James Codling, managing partner of VC firm Volution, said fintechs must make sure they “get to the right [...]
Janine Hirt: Brits network differently to Americans December 11, 2025 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance takes us through her career in Square Mile and Me What was your first job? I held down several odd jobs while working my way through university, including being a librarian, legal assistant, and a [...]
Zilch hikes provisions amid ‘record year’ for customer growth August 13, 2025 UK fintech Zilch raised its provisions for losses in the last year as demand for buy now, pay later services ballooned. The London-headquartered firm raised provisions for credit losses – funds set aside to cover estimated losses from failed repayments – to £27.4m – a 116 per cent jump from £12.7m the year prior. Credit [...]
Was Reeves’ Spending Review a fintech endorsement? June 14, 2025 Rachel Reeves has promised to back UK fintech and in Labour’s inaugural Spending Review, she piled billions into the tech sector. The Chancellor handed the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) a hefty £16.5bn budget as she took the chop to other departments. DSIT’s expenditure limit is set to grow 7.4 per cent by [...]
Klarna, Zilch, Clearpay: What does the buy now pay later crackdown mean for UK fintech? May 20, 2025 The Treasury’s regulatory shakeup of buy now pay later services is set to reshape the UK fintech landscape and industry leaders have been left with questions. The UK government will enact legislation that brings buy now pay later firms under the scrutiny of the Financial Conduct Authority. This means firms such as Klarna and Clearpay [...]