January 13, 2026 @ 11:07 am By JD Alois  |  

Private securities secondaries topped $110 billion in 2025, easily beating 2024, which reportedly totalled $89 billion. This is according to HarbourVest Partners, as outlined in the FT. According to the report, private markets continue to grow, with secondary transactions boosting that growth. Liquidity, or the… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 10:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Lloyds Banking Group has announced a £195 million finance package with Orbit Group, one of the UK’s housing providers. This collaboration aims to upgrade thousands of social homes across the Midlands, East, and South East of England, focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability.  The deal,… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 10:42 am By JD Alois  |  

Polygon Labs says it has signed a deal to acquire Coinme and Sequence in a transaction valued at around $250 million. The Sequence transaction is expected to close this month, and the Coinme transaction is expected to close in Q2 2026 subject to normal regulatory… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 10:28 am By JD Alois  |  

Netcapital (NASDAQ: NCPL, NCPLW), an operator of a FINRA-regulated funding portal and a broker-dealer, has announced its first tokenized offering. Digital assets, including digital securities, are the future of both private and public offerings, including primary and secondary trading. By incorporating blockchain technology, issuers, platforms,… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 10:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In yet another move to enhance financial access in 2026 for underserved small businesses in the UK, the British Business Bank has announced Midlands-based ART Business Loans as the fourth accredited delivery partner under its Community ENABLE Funding program. This latest development, revealed recently on… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 10:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

HashKey Capital, a global asset manager that is said to be specializing in crypto and blockchain, announced the initial closing of its fourth fund, HashKey Fintech Multi-Strategy Fund IV. The fund concluded with US$250 million in total commitments, exceeding “initial expectations and drawing significant interest”… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 9:57 am By JD Alois  |  

President Donald Trump roiled the financial services sector this past week with his declaration that credit card interest rates would be capped at 10%. Of course, this would probably take an act of Congress and is unlikely, but the statement highlighted Trump’s lack of understanding… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 9:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BNP Paribas (EPA: BNP) has officially launched a unified asset management platform, positioning itself as a key European player with extensive global influence. The merger, completed recently this past month, integrates AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM), BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management (BNPP REIM), and… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 9:22 am By JD Alois  |  

In one of the outlandish moves by the Trump Administration, it emerged this past weekend that the US Department of Justice was investigating Fed Chair Jerome Powell over cost overruns for renovations at the US Federal Reserve. Powell took to X to declare he would… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 8:06 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Business commentators believe 2026 will see steady progression in AI usage, with it frequently absorbed into daily operations. Hyperpersonalization, hybrid work, and human centricity are other themes. AI moves from experiment to expectation By January 2026, AI will no longer be a novelty. Businesses are… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 8:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move set to further bolster growth in the United Kingdom’s financial advisory landscape, digital bank OakNorth has recently extended a £4 million revolving credit facility (RCF) to Verso Wealth Management. This funding aims to fuel Verso’s ambitious strategy of acquiring independent financial adviser… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Illicit cryptocurrency transactions reached an all-time high of $158 billion in 2025, according to TRM Labs‘ newly released 2026 Crypto Crime Report. This figure marks a 145% increase from the $64.5 billion recorded in 2024, shattering the multi-year decline observed from 2021 ($85.9 billion) through… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 8:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Intesa Sanpaolo continues to solidify its position as a key player in debt capital markets and sustainable initiatives. The Italian banking institution has recently announced significant bond market transactions conducted in late 2025 and a substantial green loan aimed at advancing eco-friendly maritime transport. These… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 7:58 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As 2025 drew to a close, the UK employment landscape reflected persistent caution among businesses, driven by economic uncertainty and escalating costs. According to the latest KPMG and Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) UK Report on Jobs, compiled by S&P Global, permanent staff appointments declined… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 7:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the ecosystem of commercial finance, recent media headlines have reportedly proclaimed the so-called death of factoring, which is said to be a staple in business funding. However, a blog post from UK Finance now challenges this narrative, arguing that such reports are not only… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 7:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On January 12, 2026, investing and savings platform Betterment revealed that a sophisticated social engineering attack was responsible for a recent security incident. This breach allowed an unauthorized individual to access certain customer personal information and send fraudulent messages promoting a fake cryptocurrency-related offer to… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 3:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) has finalized the sale of a 49% stake in its Polish subsidiary, Santander Bank Polska S.A., to Austria’s Erste Group Bank AG. The transaction, announced last year and completed on January 9, 2026, also includes a 50% stake in Santander Towarzystwo… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 2:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Global investment bank Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is reportedly preparing to introduce its own digital wallet later this year. This development comes as the firm intensifies its efforts in the digital asset space, aiming to provide clients with enhanced tools for managing tokenized investments. The wallet,… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 1:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant escalation of the ongoing discourse surrounding digital currencies in British elections, the heads of seven parliamentary committees have formally requested that the UK government impose a complete prohibition on cryptocurrency contributions to political organizations. This appeal, detailed in a letter dispatched on… Read More

January 13, 2026 @ 12:46 am By Michael Wong  |  

Republic Polytechnic (RP) rolled out a campus-wide artificial intelligence (AI) transformation strategy, pledging to redesign curricula, upskill staff, and broaden partnerships with technology firms as Singapore pushes to build a deeper pipeline of AI-skilled talent. RP said the initiative aims to embed practical and responsible… Read More