cityam--2020-10-12--Government Covid leaks 'eroding trust' with businesses, says Chambers of Commerce

One of the UK ’ s largest business lobby groups has slammed the government for “ eroding trust ” with the private sector thanks to a slew of anonymous briefings and rumours over Covid restrictions .
The British Chambers of Commerce said “ speculation and rumour have badly eroded trust between Westmisnter , local government and our businesses communities ” , adding that the private sector needs “ to see a [ Covid ] exit strategy to prevent economic paralysis ” .
Read more : Coronavirus : London escapes new restrictions as PM announces alert system Boris Johnson unveiled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system today , which is set to see new restrictions imposed in many areas in the North and North West .
London will be put into the lowest grade category , medium risk , and will not have any new restrictions beyond the already in place 10pm hospitality curfew and ban on more than six people meeting .
Liverpool will be put into the highest category on Wednesday , very high risk , meaning that most hospitality venues will shut and social mixing will be banned .
Before the Open newsletter : Start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and key market data The announcement came after weeks of speculation and anonymous government briefings to the press about the potential of new local lockdowns or other draconian measures .
British Chambers of Commerce Adam Marshall said there needed to be more clarity from the government to ensure businesses in London are able to prepare for future restrictions .
“ At a time when clarity and transparency are critical , local business leaders must be more deeply involved in decision-making , so that the real-world consequences for livelihoods and communities are understood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any new restrictions must go hand-in-hand with the appropriate level of financial support , both now and into the future.
” Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer echoed Marshall ’ s sentiments , saying that “ repeated leaks and briefings to newspapers ” has “ fatally eroded public confidence just when we need it the most ” .
Read more : Sketch : How to communicate effectively ( according to the UK government ) London ’ s designation as being medium risk has saved businesses in the capital from being hamstrung by further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is placed into the high risk category then thousands of businesses will be hit as new restrictions will clamp down on household mixing .
While Rishi Sunak announced more support for local areas facing restrictions , some experts have claimed they will be not enough to save many jobs .
Catherine McGuinness , policy chair at the City of London Corporation , said the country needs to “ find a way to live ” with the virus to protect the economy .
Read more : Cultural bailout : Which London arts venues will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund ?
“ Employers have dedicated considerable resources to deliver Covid-secure workplaces and to restore confidence among their staff , ” she said .
“ A blanket recommendation to work from home over any significant length of time risks stalling the capital ’ s recovery and damaging long-term competitiveness .
“ Hibernating through the winter is not an option for our economy .
”

Government Covid leaks ‘eroding trust’ with businesses, says Chambers of Commerce
One of the UK’s largest business lobby groups has slammed the government for “eroding trust” with the private sector thanks to a slew of anonymous briefings and rumours over Covid restrictions.
The British Chambers of Commerce said “speculation and rumour have badly eroded trust between Westmisnter, local government and our businesses communities”, adding that the private sector needs “to see a [Covid] exit strategy to prevent economic paralysis”.
Boris Johnson unveiled the government’s new three-tier Covid alert system today, which is set to see new restrictions imposed in many areas in the North and North West.
London will be put into the lowest grade category, medium risk, and will not have any new restrictions beyond the already in place 10pm hospitality curfew and ban on more than six people meeting.
Liverpool will be put into the highest category on Wednesday, very high risk, meaning that most hospitality venues will shut and social mixing will be banned.
Before the Open newsletter: Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data
The announcement came after weeks of speculation and anonymous government briefings to the press about the potential of new local lockdowns or other draconian measures.
British Chambers of Commerce Adam Marshall said there needed to be more clarity from the government to ensure businesses in London are able to prepare for future restrictions.
“At a time when clarity and transparency are critical, local business leaders must be more deeply involved in decision-making, so that the real-world consequences for livelihoods and communities are understood,” he said.
“The introduction of any new restrictions must go hand-in-hand with the appropriate level of financial support, both now and into the future.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer echoed Marshall’s sentiments, saying that “repeated leaks and briefings to newspapers” has “fatally eroded public confidence just when we need it the most”.
London’s designation as being medium risk has saved businesses in the capital from being hamstrung by further restrictions.
However, if the capital is placed into the high risk category then thousands of businesses will be hit as new restrictions will clamp down on household mixing.
While Rishi Sunak announced more support for local areas facing restrictions, some experts have claimed they will be not enough to save many jobs.
Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, said the country needs to “find a way to live” with the virus to protect the economy.
“Employers have dedicated considerable resources to deliver Covid-secure workplaces and to restore confidence among their staff,” she said.
“A blanket recommendation to work from home over any significant length of time risks stalling the capital’s recovery and damaging long-term competitiveness.
“Hibernating through the winter is not an option for our economy.”


cityam--2020-10-12--Mercedes recalls 'compelling evidence' of nitrogen oxide problem, lawyers say

Lawyers building a class action against Mercedes alleging that the carmaker has deliberately engaged in emissions fraud said that the firm ’ s latest recall of diesel vehicles is “ compelling evidence ” that it has a nitrogen oxide emissions problem .
London law firm Fox Williams says that the auto giant programmed an emission defeat device during test conditions that limited illegally high and dangerous levels of the gas .
It is working together with US firm Hagens Berman , which was successful in leading a similar case against the Daimler subsidiary in the US which saw it pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest in the so-called “ Dieselgate ” scandal that has smothered the motor industry since 2015 , when Volkswagen admitted to installing secret software on vehicles sold in the US .
Such devices allowed Volkswagen ’ s cars to emit up to 40 times legally permitted emissions and evade detection during tests .
As of 4 September , Mercedes has been sending out mandatory recall notices to car owners prescribing an update for engine control unit software .
The letter , which City A.M. has seen , says that “ the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nitrogen oxide emissions while driving on the road ” .
Fox Williams partner Andrew Hill said that “ this recall exercise is further compelling evidence Mercedes diesel and BlueTec vehicles have a nitrogen oxide problem that needs fixing ” .
In response , the car firm said : “ We believe the claims brought forward by the UK law firms are without merit , and will vigorously defend against them or any group action.
” Before the Open newsletter : Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US settlement were produced “ exclusively ” for the country ’ s market .
“ The emissions control system of US vehicles differs in comparison to vehicles in Europe both with respect to hardware components and configuration of the control software ” , it said .
Michael Gallagher , co-managing director of Hagens Berman UK disputed this , saying : “ We absolutely don ’ t accept Mercedes ’ argument that the emissions control system of US vehicles is materially different to European models.
” The lawyer added that the fact that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behest of the German transport authority – the KBA – was “ telling ” .
“ We believe Mercedes is developing software updates for almost the entire Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel fleet in Europe and that the cheating impacts more vehicles than we originally thought ” , Gallagher said .
But a spokesperson for Mercedes contested this , saying that the firm had been “ voluntarily been performing software updates across our Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel vehicles to further reduce Nitrogen Oxide emissions in Europe , including the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also been carrying out mandatory recalls related to diesel emissions , in which software updates are being installed , pursuant to an administrative order by the KBA .
“ Daimler is appealing against these recall notices and these objection proceedings are ongoing ” , they added .
Initial estimates from the law firms suggest that there could be up to 1.2m claimants in the UK .
Compensation could be in the range of £5,000 to £10,000 per vehicle , said Hill .

Mercedes recalls ‘compelling evidence’ of nitrogen oxide problem, lawyers say
Lawyers building a class action against Mercedes alleging that the carmaker has deliberately engaged in emissions fraud said that the firm’s latest recall of diesel vehicles is “compelling evidence” that it has a nitrogen oxide emissions problem.
London law firm Fox Williams says that the auto giant programmed an emission defeat device during test conditions that limited illegally high and dangerous levels of the gas.
It is working together with US firm Hagens Berman, which was successful in leading a similar case against the Daimler subsidiary in the US which saw it pay out $700m.
The penalties were the latest in the so-called “Dieselgate” scandal that has smothered the motor industry since 2015, when Volkswagen admitted to installing secret software on vehicles sold in the US.
Such devices allowed Volkswagen’s cars to emit up to 40 times legally permitted emissions and evade detection during tests.
As of 4 September, Mercedes has been sending out mandatory recall notices to car owners prescribing an update for engine control unit software.
The letter, which City A.M. has seen, says that “the new software helps to further reduce the average nitrogen oxide emissions while driving on the road”.
Fox Williams partner Andrew Hill said that “this recall exercise is further compelling evidence Mercedes diesel and BlueTec vehicles have a nitrogen oxide problem that needs fixing”.
In response, the car firm said: “We believe the claims brought forward by the UK law firms are without merit, and will vigorously defend against them or any group action.”
Before the Open newsletter: Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data
It added that the vehicles concerned in the US settlement were produced “exclusively” for the country’s market.
“The emissions control system of US vehicles differs in comparison to vehicles in Europe both with respect to hardware components and configuration of the control software”, it said.
Michael Gallagher, co-managing director of Hagens Berman UK disputed this, saying: “We absolutely don’t accept Mercedes’ argument that the emissions control system of US vehicles is materially different to European models.”
The lawyer added that the fact that the recalls were being carried out at the behest of the German transport authority – the KBA – was “telling”.
“We believe Mercedes is developing software updates for almost the entire Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel fleet in Europe and that the cheating impacts more vehicles than we originally thought”, Gallagher said.
But a spokesperson for Mercedes contested this, saying that the firm had been “voluntarily been performing software updates across our Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel vehicles to further reduce Nitrogen Oxide emissions in Europe, including the UK” since 2017.
“Daimler has also been carrying out mandatory recalls related to diesel emissions, in which software updates are being installed, pursuant to an administrative order by the KBA.
“Daimler is appealing against these recall notices and these objection proceedings are ongoing”, they added.
Initial estimates from the law firms suggest that there could be up to 1.2m claimants in the UK.
Compensation could be in the range of £5,000 to £10,000 per vehicle, said Hill.


cityam--2020-10-12--City to shift €150bn of UK assets into France ahead of Brexit

Firms have begun shifting around €150bn ( €135bn ) of UK assets from the City into France ahead of the Brexit transition period deadline , according to the governor of the Bank of France .
Francois Villeroy de Galhau told the Europlace International Financial Forum that the Bank of France has authorised asset shifts by 32 companies — mostly investment firms — to “ ensure continuity of activities in France ” .
Read more : Brexit : Boris Johnson warns of ‘ significant gaps ’ to bridge in EU trade talks The governor said the bulk of the €150bn figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home ” ahead of Britain ’ s formal exit from the bloc on 1 January .
However , he warned that a portion of the money involved UK-based entities shifting their portfolios to the continent to ensure they could continue trading in France post-Brexit .
Villeroy de Galhau added that 31 firms had registered for a licence to operate in France and currently await a decision by French market watchdog ACPR .
It comes after European leaders today warned that Britain will face tough enforcement measures to ensure it does not breach any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU .
The bloc said it will call on chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to ensure that level playing field guarantees for EU businesses competing with British firms receive Brussels ’ word to take rapid retaliatory action against any breaches .
Earlier this month , Brussels said it will refuse the City access to the single market from next year unless the UK sets out plans to diverge from the EU ’ s financial rules .
Mairead McGuinness , Irish MEP and incoming EU financial services commissioner , said Brussels would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal “ unless and until we get clear answers from the United Kingdom about their intentions to deregulate ” .
Senior government officials have said the UK is “ confident ” it will receive an equivalence deal from the EU , which would allow Britain ’ s financial services to continue as usual into next year .
However , the threats from Brussels appear to have spooked companies in the City into considering alternative options .
At least 24 financial services firms have rolled out plans to make more than £1.2 trillion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brexit referendum , according to EY .
JP Morgan — the biggest US bank —is set to move €200bn ( £184bn ) assets from the UK to Germany as a result of Brexit , Bloomberg reported earlier this month .
Read more : Brexit : UK confirms plans for Kent ‘ passport ’ for lorry drivers It has also told its 200 London-based staff to move to Europe ahead of the transition period deadline next year .
Before the Open : Get the jump on the markets with our early morning newsletter

City to shift €150bn of UK assets into France ahead of Brexit
Firms have begun shifting around €150bn (€135bn) of UK assets from the City into France ahead of the Brexit transition period deadline, according to the governor of the Bank of France.
Francois Villeroy de Galhau told the Europlace International Financial Forum that the Bank of France has authorised asset shifts by 32 companies — mostly investment firms — to “ensure continuity of activities in France”.
The governor said the bulk of the €150bn figure involved French firms “simply moving assets home” ahead of Britain’s formal exit from the bloc on 1 January.
However, he warned that a portion of the money involved UK-based entities shifting their portfolios to the continent to ensure they could continue trading in France post-Brexit.
Villeroy de Galhau added that 31 firms had registered for a licence to operate in France and currently await a decision by French market watchdog ACPR.
It comes after European leaders today warned that Britain will face tough enforcement measures to ensure it does not breach any commitments relating to a trade deal with the EU.
The bloc said it will call on chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to ensure that level playing field guarantees for EU businesses competing with British firms receive Brussels’ word to take rapid retaliatory action against any breaches.
Earlier this month, Brussels said it will refuse the City access to the single market from next year unless the UK sets out plans to diverge from the EU’s financial rules.
Mairead McGuinness, Irish MEP and incoming EU financial services commissioner, said Brussels would be reluctant to grant the UK an equivalence deal “unless and until we get clear answers from the United Kingdom about their intentions to deregulate”.
Senior government officials have said the UK is “confident” it will receive an equivalence deal from the EU, which would allow Britain’s financial services to continue as usual into next year.
However, the threats from Brussels appear to have spooked companies in the City into considering alternative options.
At least 24 financial services firms have rolled out plans to make more than £1.2 trillion of asset transfers to the continent since the Brexit referendum, according to EY.
JP Morgan — the biggest US bank —is set to move €200bn (£184bn) assets from the UK to Germany as a result of Brexit, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.
It has also told its 200 London-based staff to move to Europe ahead of the transition period deadline next year.
Before the Open: Get the jump on the markets with our early morning newsletter


cityam--2020-10-13--Hackney Council hit by ‘serious’ cyber attack

Hackney Council has been hit by a major cyber attack that is affecting many of its services and IT services .
The council has called in experts from the National Cyber Security Centre , as well as the Ministry of Housing and local government to investigate the incident .
It is unclear which services have been affected , and the council said it had limited information about the nature and scale of the attack .
“ Our focus is on continuing to deliver essential frontline services , especially to our most vulnerable residents , and protecting data , while restoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said in a statement .
The council warned that some services may be unavailable or slower than normal as a result of the attack .
“ We ask that residents and businesses only contact us if absolutely necessary , and to bear with us while we seek to resolve these issues , ” it said .
Ransomware attacks – where attackers take control of computer systems and demand payment – is becoming a growing problem for both private companies and public bodies .
Jake Moore , cybersecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack bore “ all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack ” .
“ But what we should be worried about is the new direction that threat actors are taking these days , where they not only encrypt the data but they threaten to release it too , ” he said .
“ Councils which may lack funding , and consequently may not have the strongest network protection , can be an easy target for those looking for vulnerabilities to exploit .
“ Unfortunately , there is big money to be made and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make their crime pay .
”

Hackney Council hit by ‘serious’ cyber attack
Hackney Council has been hit by a major cyber attack that is affecting many of its services and IT services.
The council has called in experts from the National Cyber Security Centre, as well as the Ministry of Housing and local government to investigate the incident.
It is unclear which services have been affected, and the council said it had limited information about the nature and scale of the attack.
“Our focus is on continuing to deliver essential frontline services, especially to our most vulnerable residents, and protecting data, while restoring affected services as soon as possible,” Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said in a statement.
The council warned that some services may be unavailable or slower than normal as a result of the attack.
“We ask that residents and businesses only contact us if absolutely necessary, and to bear with us while we seek to resolve these issues,” it said.
Ransomware attacks – where attackers take control of computer systems and demand payment – is becoming a growing problem for both private companies and public bodies.
Jake Moore, cybersecurity specialist at IT firm ESET, said the attack bore “all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack”.
“But what we should be worried about is the new direction that threat actors are taking these days, where they not only encrypt the data but they threaten to release it too,” he said.
“Councils which may lack funding, and consequently may not have the strongest network protection, can be an easy target for those looking for vulnerabilities to exploit.
“Unfortunately, there is big money to be made and criminal hackers are quick to adapt and make their crime pay.”


cityam--2020-10-13--DEBATE: Is the government right to be encouraging artists and dancers to retrain in tech?

Is the government right to be encouraging artists and dancers to retrain in tech ?
, an entrepreneur and adviser , says .
At some point soon , we will be left with no choice but to face up to the uncomfortable truths of this pandemic .
Covid-19 is re-writing the economic rules we ’ ve played by for so long .
Yes , that prospect is daunting , and the government ’ s poster encouraging a ballet dancer to retrain “ in cyber ” was a little tactless .
But history is littered with examples of big , profound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and advancement .
No one wants to see the arts disappear , but we must collectively recalibrate our skill-sets and look towards the future with at least a shred of optimism .
After so many uninterrupted years of stability , it is critical that we adopt an open mind when it comes to considering the lifelines thrown to the millions of people who will lose their jobs as a result of this pandemic .
A career in STEM has limitless potential and , once you scratch beneath the surface , can offer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juices to flow .
Let ’ s not sneer at the prospect of retraining — after all , great things never come from comfort zones .
Read more : Cultural bailout : Which London arts venues will get a share of the £275m rescue fund ?
, chief executive of arts and cultural consultancy ARTIQ , says .
The cultural sector adds £32.3bn annually to our economy , and yet this government is not giving cultural businesses the long-term support they need to get back on track .
Instead , it is suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dreams entirely and retrain .
Instead of denigrating the arts , the government needs to support them .
The £1.5bn Culture Rescue Fund will save some organisations , but it won ’ t be enough .
We need the same breaks STEM businesses get at both a training and funding level .
There must be a shift in the narrative about how we talk about the arts .
Introduce campaigns encouraging young people to engage with culture and creativity , and show how the UK ’ s rich demography benefits from its artistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for tourism and an export to the world stage — in short , how individuals and the wider economy will benefit .
If this misguided rhetoric doesn ’ t change , we risk irrevocably damaging centuries of work , dissuading a generation of artists , and robbing the economy of one of its most valued sectors .
Read more : The UK must close its digital skills gap — or face an unemployment crisis

DEBATE: Is the government right to be encouraging artists and dancers to retrain in tech?
Image credit: Cyber First / UK Government
Is the government right to be encouraging artists and dancers to retrain in tech?
Leon Emirali , an entrepreneur and adviser, says YES .
At some point soon, we will be left with no choice but to face up to the uncomfortable truths of this pandemic. Covid-19 is re-writing the economic rules we’ve played by for so long.
Yes, that prospect is daunting, and the government’s poster encouraging a ballet dancer to retrain “in cyber” was a little tactless. But history is littered with examples of big, profound disruptions that ultimately lead to greater prosperity and advancement.
No one wants to see the arts disappear, but we must collectively recalibrate our skill-sets and look towards the future with at least a shred of optimism. After so many uninterrupted years of stability, it is critical that we adopt an open mind when it comes to considering the lifelines thrown to the millions of people who will lose their jobs as a result of this pandemic.
A career in STEM has limitless potential and, once you scratch beneath the surface, can offer the perfect environment for the creative and artistic juices to flow. Let’s not sneer at the prospect of retraining — after all, great things never come from comfort zones.
Patrick McCrae , chief executive of arts and cultural consultancy ARTIQ, says NO .
The cultural sector adds £32.3bn annually to our economy, and yet this government is not giving cultural businesses the long-term support they need to get back on track. Instead, it is suggesting that creative professionals give up on their dreams entirely and retrain.
Instead of denigrating the arts, the government needs to support them. The £1.5bn Culture Rescue Fund will save some organisations, but it won’t be enough. We need the same breaks STEM businesses get at both a training and funding level.
There must be a shift in the narrative about how we talk about the arts. Introduce campaigns encouraging young people to engage with culture and creativity, and show how the UK’s rich demography benefits from its artistic sector, how it is a driver for tourism and an export to the world stage — in short, how individuals and the wider economy will benefit.
If this misguided rhetoric doesn’t change, we risk irrevocably damaging centuries of work, dissuading a generation of artists, and robbing the economy of one of its most valued sectors.


cityam--2020-10-13--The DeFi Bubble and the Next Bitcoin Boom

Programmers have found a way to replace the core service offerings of Wall Street and an army of corporate lawyers with 800 lines of smart contract code .
The “ De ” in DeFi stands for “ decentralized , ” meaning there are no intermediaries in the process .
Despite the raw and unpolished user interface , billions in assets flow through new decentralized apps every day .
We ’ re only at the beginning of the growing DeFi bubble and there are already tokens worth more than Bitcoin .
Some of these tokens are nothing more than a name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are shrimp , burger , spaghetti , and sushi tokens that have reached sky highs and many of these meme tokens even have “ sequels.
” It is madness in excess of the ICO bubble of 2017 .
While the bubble may only have a few more weeks to go , the technology that powers it will change everything .
For the first time in history , anyone can access advanced financial services and are doing it through : • One-Click IPO — There are smart contract generators that let you create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just choose a name , symbol , total supply , and how much you will get at the start .
You can then add this token to a decentralized exchange like UniSwap and others can buy it for Ethereum .
• Lending — You earn interest by providing your capital to a lending pool .
Microloans can also be obtained easily to help those in need in the emerging world • Hedge Funds and Insurance — YFI ( Yearn Finance ) is an example of a project that innovated fair distribution of tokens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaving all the money on the table for the community .
The community has rewarded us all by building a variety of apps that are on track to becoming an ecosystem .
One YFI is worth over $ 30,000 USD as of now .
With only 30,000 YFI tokens in circulation , many expect its value to reach over $ 70,000 .
But the question is—is it sound ?
• Built-in Market Making — Wall Street uses a tactic called “ market making , ” which is essentially “ insurance ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have replaced this old manual Wall Street service with a few lines of code that allows anyone to become a market maker by staking their tokens in a pool of tokens .
The tokens are used by an automated set of trading rules to keep the price from collapsing .
As an added bonus , those who stake their tokens in these pools also earn a share of the total fees earned by the decentralized exchange app .
These crypto nerds even found a way to let people earn off these market-making services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , if you stake 10 % of the total token pool supply , you earn 10 % of all fees earned by the exchange of that token .
Truly Genius .
This is how Uniswap and SushiSwap work .
• Frictionless onboarding — No ID is required , no phone calls needed , not even a login .
You can connect to any of your crypto wallets via the open Wallet Connect protocol and have your funds ready to trade all of the tokens on the Ethereum blockchain .
How the trades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as code is used to match prices based on a slippage percentage .
The custody is all yours .
No one can confiscate your wallet .
Better not lose your private keys though .
Crypto can be as scary as keeping your life savings on your mobile phone or laptop .
Can it all be bad ?
Can we use this technology for good ?
Anything that can be tokenized can end up on a DeFi application .
The pace of development is intense .
Every day , new brilliant projects emerge—DeFi could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anything is possible now .
P2P Finance has also been operating silently in the background .
It offers financial services to people based on real use cases like payments , remittance , wealth preservation , and commerce .
The people of emerging markets like Africa and India , for example , seem to benefit most .
All DeFi trades are peer-to-peer in nature as they happen on a blockchain .
Imagine a pure DeFi version of this ?
The ability to bridge fiat money—like dollars and all the world ’ s currencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Remember the frictionless onboarding part ?
It is actually a huge value add-on because over 40 % of the emerging world that we serve can not provide proper KYC services , as localized KYC solutions are not well integrated or developed .
Furthermore , many people have no ID at all and that is another opportunity .
There are four billion human beings who lack access to traditional financial services .
If Bitcoin was layer one , then DeFi is layer two and the “ people ” layer provided by P2P networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This decentralized , people-powered marketplace for money transfers just needs the frictionless onboarding decentralization brings .
The other huge benefit is the potential for decentralized price discovery .
The current decentralized exchanges can not do this , as they use a price “ oracle ” from centralized exchanges .
However , decentralized people-powered marketplaces could offer a price based on P2P crypto to fiat trades .
This can give us the true street price of Bitcoin to the dollar—which is something that would be of enormous value to people in hyperinflationary economies like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often have to check many different sources .
Additional price discovery models can be built on top of auction model exchange rules .
There is a hidden world-changing product to be found here ; price discovery of this nature would become the new standard and potentially tip the scales of geopolitical power .
What about you ?
What should you do about DeFi ?
Remember that we ’ re in a bubble but when it bursts the next Bitcoin bull run will begin so prepare yourself .
As the world plunges into chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to be into crypto , ” as crypto is the hedge against the world of finance falling apart .
Bitcoin and Ethereum are rock solid because they now serve real use cases .
DeFi tokens are literally playing with fire and you might get burned .
Those who win this game buy , hold , and check the price constantly .
Bitcoin will always be the spine of the crypto economy and it will grow .
Be bullish .
Farm .
This just means you hold a token and get paid out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Every variety of token is available from decentralized Yams to semi-decentralized Burgers and more .
To begin , just buy $ 10 worth of Ethereum or Bitcoin and put it into one of these services .
A fair warning : the network is congested and the fees have skyrocketed , so just sending a transaction of even $ 1 can cost you over $ 20 .
Admittedly , DeFi is still raw .
It can be complex to start but many offerings are emerging to simplify the complexities of DeFi .
Keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these tokens will most likely collapse with the price .
To my fellow nerdy geniuses : build a mastermind group , learn as much as you can , and move together .
We ’ re in the middle of the greatest wealth transfer in human history .
Don ’ t miss it .
Start learning and building .
This is the way .

The DeFi Bubble and the Next Bitcoin Boom
Ray Youssef, Co-Founder & CEO of Paxful
Programmers have found a way to replace the core service offerings of Wall Street and an army of corporate lawyers with 800 lines of smart contract code.
The “De” in DeFi stands for “decentralized,” meaning there are no intermediaries in the process. Despite the raw and unpolished user interface, billions in assets flow through new decentralized apps every day.
We’re only at the beginning of the growing DeFi bubble and there are already tokens worth more than Bitcoin. Some of these tokens are nothing more than a name, code, and smart marketing. There are shrimp, burger, spaghetti, and sushi tokens that have reached sky highs and many of these meme tokens even have “sequels.” It is madness in excess of the ICO bubble of 2017. While the bubble may only have a few more weeks to go, the technology that powers it will change everything.
For the first time in history, anyone can access advanced financial services and are doing it through:
One-Click IPO — There are smart contract generators that let you create your own public offerings within seconds. Just choose a name, symbol, total supply, and how much you will get at the start. You can then add this token to a decentralized exchange like UniSwap and others can buy it for Ethereum.
Lending — You earn interest by providing your capital to a lending pool. Microloans can also be obtained easily to help those in need in the emerging world
Hedge Funds and Insurance — YFI (Yearn Finance) is an example of a project that innovated fair distribution of tokens. The founders had zero pre-mined tokens, leaving all the money on the table for the community. The community has rewarded us all by building a variety of apps that are on track to becoming an ecosystem. One YFI is worth over $30,000 USD as of now. With only 30,000 YFI tokens in circulation, many expect its value to reach over $70,000. But the question is—is it sound?
Built-in Market Making — Wall Street uses a tactic called “market making,” which is essentially “insurance” against the stock price collapsing. Crypto coders have replaced this old manual Wall Street service with a few lines of code that allows anyone to become a market maker by staking their tokens in a pool of tokens. The tokens are used by an automated set of trading rules to keep the price from collapsing. As an added bonus, those who stake their tokens in these pools also earn a share of the total fees earned by the decentralized exchange app. These crypto nerds even found a way to let people earn off these market-making services, much like Wall Street did. So, if you stake 10% of the total token pool supply, you earn 10% of all fees earned by the exchange of that token. Truly Genius. This is how Uniswap and SushiSwap work.
Frictionless onboarding — No ID is required, no phone calls needed, not even a login. You can connect to any of your crypto wallets via the open Wallet Connect protocol and have your funds ready to trade all of the tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. How the trades are matched up can get quite technical as code is used to match prices based on a slippage percentage. The custody is all yours. No one can confiscate your wallet. Better not lose your private keys though. Crypto can be as scary as keeping your life savings on your mobile phone or laptop.
Can it all be bad? Can we use this technology for good?
Anything that can be tokenized can end up on a DeFi application. The pace of development is intense. Every day, new brilliant projects emerge—DeFi could be bigger than the Internet one day. Anything is possible now.
P2P Finance has also been operating silently in the background. It offers financial services to people based on real use cases like payments, remittance, wealth preservation, and commerce. The people of emerging markets like Africa and India, for example, seem to benefit most. All DeFi trades are peer-to-peer in nature as they happen on a blockchain.
Imagine a pure DeFi version of this? The ability to bridge fiat money—like dollars and all the world’s currencies. Why does the world need it? Remember the frictionless onboarding part? It is actually a huge value add-on because over 40% of the emerging world that we serve cannot provide proper KYC services, as localized KYC solutions are not well integrated or developed. Furthermore, many people have no ID at all and that is another opportunity.
There are four billion human beings who lack access to traditional financial services. If Bitcoin was layer one, then DeFi is layer two and the “people” layer provided by P2P networks like Paxful is the third layer. This decentralized, people-powered marketplace for money transfers just needs the frictionless onboarding decentralization brings.
The other huge benefit is the potential for decentralized price discovery. The current decentralized exchanges cannot do this, as they use a price “oracle” from centralized exchanges. However, decentralized people-powered marketplaces could offer a price based on P2P crypto to fiat trades. This can give us the true street price of Bitcoin to the dollar—which is something that would be of enormous value to people in hyperinflationary economies like Zimbabwe or Venezuela, as people there often have to check many different sources. Additional price discovery models can be built on top of auction model exchange rules. There is a hidden world-changing product to be found here; price discovery of this nature would become the new standard and potentially tip the scales of geopolitical power.
What about you? What should you do about DeFi?
Remember that we’re in a bubble but when it bursts the next Bitcoin bull run will begin so prepare yourself. As the world plunges into chaos just remember that “it’s good to be into crypto,” as crypto is the hedge against the world of finance falling apart. Bitcoin and Ethereum are rock solid because they now serve real use cases. DeFi tokens are literally playing with fire and you might get burned. Those who win this game buy, hold, and check the price constantly. Bitcoin will always be the spine of the crypto economy and it will grow. Be bullish.
Farm. This just means you hold a token and get paid out of the fees coming from the service. Every variety of token is available from decentralized Yams to semi-decentralized Burgers and more. To begin, just buy $10 worth of Ethereum or Bitcoin and put it into one of these services. A fair warning: the network is congested and the fees have skyrocketed, so just sending a transaction of even $1 can cost you over $20. Admittedly, DeFi is still raw. It can be complex to start but many offerings are emerging to simplify the complexities of DeFi. Keep in mind the farming profitability of most of these tokens will most likely collapse with the price.
To my fellow nerdy geniuses: build a mastermind group, learn as much as you can, and move together. We’re in the middle of the greatest wealth transfer in human history. Don’t miss it. Start learning and building.
This is the way.


cityam--2020-10-13--Google Nest Audio review: Google's smart speaker gets a much needed audio boost

The Google Nest Audio replaces Google ’ s existing mid-sized smart speaker , 2016 ’ s Google Home .
Whereas the previous device prioritised looks over performance , resembling an futuristic reed diffuser that could be placed anywhere around the home without appearing too conspicuous , the Google Nest Audio is unashamedly a speaker with an uncompromising focus on sound quality .
That ’ s not to say it ’ s not still pretty enough to sit on any shelf in the house .
Pill-shaped and chalk-coloured , the seven-inch tall , voice-activated speaker is wrapped all around in fabric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller Google Nest Mini .
It features a minimalist , rounded design with capacitive touch controls hidden along the top edge .
According to Google ’ s figures it ’ s 75 per cent louder and 50 per cent bassier than the previous model , and this seems to hold true in testing .
The Google Nest Audio produces a much richer sound than the old Google Home , with thumpier bass at the low end and noticeably improved clarity in the vocal range .
The overall boost in sound quality also means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more present in the room .
Used alone , it ’ s a beefy enough speaker with a wide enough sound to service a single room , though by itself it doesn ’ t quite have the presence or loudness to serve as the primary speaker for a living room setup .
Combine two Nest Audios in the Google Home app , however , and they ’ ll work in stereo , appearing as a single Bluetooth device for easy pairing with sound systems and televisions .
In stereo the Nest Audio is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at £89 each it ’ s cheaper than many soundbars too .
Setting the Nest Audio up with the Google Home app is about as simple as it gets .
Pairing is seamless , and it ’ s straightforward to add the speaker to an existing group to create multi-room audio , or to have your music follow you from room to room .
The microphone array has been tuned to be better at picking up your voice from across the room , even amid loud background noise , so commands given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For £89 , you can ’ t fault this stylish and compact speaker .
The Nest Audio is a welcome refresh of Google ’ s leading smart speaker , and an upgraded piece of hardware that blends seamlessly into the contemporary home .
Simply the best smart speaker for under £100 .

Google Nest Audio review: Google’s smart speaker gets a much needed audio boost
The Google Nest Audio replaces Google’s existing mid-sized smart speaker, 2016’s Google Home. Whereas the previous device prioritised looks over performance, resembling an futuristic reed diffuser that could be placed anywhere around the home without appearing too conspicuous, the Google Nest Audio is unashamedly a speaker with an uncompromising focus on sound quality.
That’s not to say it’s not still pretty enough to sit on any shelf in the house. Pill-shaped and chalk-coloured, the seven-inch tall, voice-activated speaker is wrapped all around in fabric made from recycled plastics to match the smaller Google Nest Mini. It features a minimalist, rounded design with capacitive touch controls hidden along the top edge.
The Nest Audio is a welcome refresh of Google’s leading smart speaker
According to Google’s figures it’s 75 per cent louder and 50 per cent bassier than the previous model, and this seems to hold true in testing. The Google Nest Audio produces a much richer sound than the old Google Home, with thumpier bass at the low end and noticeably improved clarity in the vocal range. The overall boost in sound quality also means the Google Assistant’s voice feels more present in the room.
Used alone, it’s a beefy enough speaker with a wide enough sound to service a single room, though by itself it doesn’t quite have the presence or loudness to serve as the primary speaker for a living room setup. Combine two Nest Audios in the Google Home app, however, and they’ll work in stereo, appearing as a single Bluetooth device for easy pairing with sound systems and televisions. In stereo the Nest Audio is a suitable replacement for a soundbar, and at £89 each it’s cheaper than many soundbars too.
Setting the Nest Audio up with the Google Home app is about as simple as it gets. Pairing is seamless, and it’s straightforward to add the speaker to an existing group to create multi-room audio, or to have your music follow you from room to room. The microphone array has been tuned to be better at picking up your voice from across the room, even amid loud background noise, so commands given to Google Assistant are more readily understood.
For £89, you can’t fault this stylish and compact speaker. The Nest Audio is a welcome refresh of Google’s leading smart speaker, and an upgraded piece of hardware that blends seamlessly into the contemporary home. Simply the best smart speaker for under £100.
★★★★★
Web: store.google.com
Price: £89


cityam--2020-10-13--Property platform Onthemarket hails surge in potential buyers after lockdown

Property platform Onthemarket toasted a surge in potential buyers following the lifting of lockdown restrictions earlier this year .
Onthemarket said consumer engagement has been very strong after the government eased restrictions on the UK housing market in May , and it had delivered record leads to advertisers .
The company said its “ new and exclusive ” property listings attracted “ motivated property seekers ” who “ deliver value to our advertiser customers through the provision of high-quality leads ” .
In the six months ended 31 July the group posted revenue of £10.2m , up 28 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to profit during the period , with a profit after tax of £700,000 , up from a loss of £7m last year .
The majority estate-agent-owned platform said average listed advertisers increased nine per cent to 13,592 in the half-year period .
Onthemarket acting chief executive Clive Beattie said : “ We started the year strongly with trading in February and the first half of March in line with management expectations .
“ However , the first half of the financial year quickly became dominated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal — why cladding changes are urgently needed to free up the UK property market “ Our focus during the period has been to safeguard employee well-being , provide value and support to our agent and housebuilder customers and to manage costs and conserve cash .
“ We have been particularly pleased with the strong consumer engagement with the portal since the easing of national lockdown restrictions in May , with record leads indicating that those consumers most active in the property market visit OnTheMarket.com .
”

Property platform Onthemarket hails surge in potential buyers after lockdown
Property platform Onthemarket toasted a surge in potential buyers following the lifting of lockdown restrictions earlier this year.
Onthemarket said consumer engagement has been very strong after the government eased restrictions on the UK housing market in May, and it had delivered record leads to advertisers.
The company said its “new and exclusive” property listings attracted “motivated property seekers” who “deliver value to our advertiser customers through the provision of high-quality leads”.
In the six months ended 31 July the group posted revenue of £10.2m, up 28 per cent from the previous year.
Onthemarket returned to profit during the period, with a profit after tax of £700,000, up from a loss of £7m last year.
The majority estate-agent-owned platform said average listed advertisers increased nine per cent to 13,592 in the half-year period.
Onthemarket acting chief executive Clive Beattie said: “We started the year strongly with trading in February and the first half of March in line with management expectations.
“However, the first half of the financial year quickly became dominated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our focus during the period has been to safeguard employee well-being, provide value and support to our agent and housebuilder customers and to manage costs and conserve cash.
“We have been particularly pleased with the strong consumer engagement with the portal since the easing of national lockdown restrictions in May, with record leads indicating that those consumers most active in the property market visit OnTheMarket.com.”


cityam--2020-10-13--Cornish Lithium fundraise nears £4m as Poldark spirit lives on

A new lithium project in the south-west has attracted nearly £4m in investment over the last 24 hours , smashing its target of a £1.5m raise .
Cornish Lithium opened up to pre-registered investors yesterday and nearly doubled its original target within three hours .
The firm , which is based near Redruth in England ’ s westernmost county , then opened the funding round to the public this morning .
Currently , 2176 investors have chipped in to raise £3.8m , 250 per cent more than the firm had originally aimed for .
Investors flocked to the firm just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant ” find of the precious metal in what could be a game-changing discovery for UK battery technology .
The find also raised hopes of a new industrial boom in the county , the mining heritage of which is perhaps best known through Sunday night smash hit Poldark .
Founder and chief exec Jeremy Wrathall said : “ We are raising additional funding at this time to continue towards our goal of creating a battery metals hub for the UK .
Before the Open newsletter : Start your day with the City View @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success of our recent exploration , and Government funding for our pilot plant , gives the Company the opportunity to accelerate its efforts towards commercial production and the creation of an environmentally-responsible lithium industry in Cornwall.
” The company is currently deciding when to close its current funding round , which is being held on Crowdcube .
Lithium is an essential element in making batteries for electric vehicles , which are expected to supplant the conventional combustion-engine powered car as the world seeks to transition away from a carbon-heavy industry .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominated by China , which is the world ’ s largest producer of the rare metal .
Energy research organisation the Faraday Institute has said the country will need about 60,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate by 2035 , when the sale of new diesel cars will be banned .
Read more : Petropavlovsk deputy chief out as Hambro era comes to an end The company is currently in the process of building a £4m extraction plant in Cornwall , in which the government has taken an undisclosed stake .
Wrathall teased potential investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was considering a London listing in the next couple of years .

Cornish Lithium fundraise smashes £4m as Poldark spirit lives on
A new lithium project in the south-west has attracted more than £4m in investment over the last 24 hours, smashing its target of a £1.5m raise.
Cornish Lithium opened up to pre-registered investors yesterday and nearly doubled its original target within three hours.
The firm, which is based near Redruth in England’s westernmost county, then opened the funding round to the public this morning.
Currently, 2616 investors have chipped in to raise £4.08m, 270 per cent more than the firm had originally aimed for.
Investors flocked to the firm just weeks after it announced a “globally significant” find of the precious metal in what could be a game-changing discovery for UK battery technology.
The find also raised hopes of a new industrial boom in the county, the mining heritage of which is perhaps best known through Sunday night smash hit Poldark.
Founder and chief exec Jeremy Wrathall said: “We are raising additional funding at this time to continue towards our goal of creating a battery metals hub for the UK.
“The success of our recent exploration, and Government funding for our pilot plant, gives the Company the opportunity to accelerate its efforts towards commercial production and the creation of an environmentally-responsible lithium industry in Cornwall.”
The firm is undertaking two methods of extraction: one looking to extract the metal from brine and another granite drilling project.
He told City A.M. that the size of the raise meant the firm would be able to pursue a number of extra projects, including drilling extra wells for brine extraction near Camborne and St Austell.
Before the Open newsletter: Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data
He also said that the additional funding meant the firm could push ahead with a pilot plant for processing metal found in granite deposits.
The new plant would be on top of a £4m facility for brine extraction which is already being part funded by the government.
Between them, he said that the factories could employ hundreds of people in an area struggling with unemployment.
Around 30,000 people used to work in mining in St Austell alone, before the mines shut in the 1980s.
“We are proud custodians of one of Cornwall’s greatest traditions and we are acutely aware of our responsibility”, Wrathall told City A.M. .
“Cornwall can’t be a museum. That heritage must be preserved and enhanced. It has to be a working place where modern minerals are extracted responsibly.”
The company is currently deciding when to close its current funding round, which is being held on Crowdcube.
Lithium is an essential element in making batteries for electric vehicles, which are expected to supplant the conventional combustion-engine powered car as the world seeks to transition away from a carbon-heavy industry.
At the moment, the battery supply chain is dominated by China, which is the world’s largest producer of the rare metal.
Energy research organisation the Faraday Institute has said the country will need about 60,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate by 2035, when the sale of new diesel cars will be banned.
Wrathall said that the company would be able to provide a “significant portion” of that demand.
Speaking to City A.M., Wrathall confirmed that the company was mulling a London listing in the next two years.


cityam--2020-10-13--UK’s £225bn professional services industry risks ‘catastrophic’ hit from Brexit

Britain ’ s £225bn professional services industry has been ignored by the government and is under “ catastrophic ” threat of losing business to the EU post-Brexit , a parliamentary committee has warned .
A House of Lords ’ EU services subcommittee report published today said the UK ’ s accountants , lawyers , recruiters , architects and advertisers are under risk of losing contracts and jobs when Britain formally leaves the bloc in January .
Read more : City to shift €150bn of UK assets into France ahead of Brexit The report accused the government of ignoring the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up around 13 per cent of the UK workforce — in trade negotiations with the EU .
Committee chair Baroness Donaghy said : “ This sector , and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods , will suffer if its needs are not reflected in the UK ’ s negotiations with the EU .
“ We are concerned that they have been overlooked in the negotiations so far.
” The professional services sector is the UK ’ s leading services export , contributing around three times more than cars — Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU is the largest market for UK professional services , making up 37 per cent of UK exports from the sector .
The Lords committee warned that even a “ Canada-style ” trade deal with the EU , in which the UK would avoid tariffs and quotas , would not be enough to prevent huge restrictions on professional services exports to the continent at the end of the Brexit transition period .
Under Canada ’ s current trade agreement with the EU — known as Ceta — European countries are permitted to apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services firms from foreign competition .
Reservations can include demands that companies prove local talent is not available , that foreign professionals become residents in certain countries , and that firms adopt domestic corporate structures .
Simon Davis , president of the Law Society and partner at Clifford Chance , said : “ All Ceta does is say that it would be a good thing to have some kind of mutual recognition… but nothing has happened.
” The committee added that Ceta-style reservations “ could be catastrophic for the UK ’ s professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without a UK-EU agreement , UK lawyers may become unable to operate in the EU under UK-specific corporate structures , in particular limited liability partnerships , ” the report said .
Time is running out for the UK to secure a trade deal with the EU , with Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that any agreement must be struck before an EU summit in Brussels on 15 October — in just two days time .
If the UK does not strike a deal by then , it is highly likely Britain will leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January .
Peers warned today that a no-deal Brexit would be hugely damaging for the UK ’ s professional services industry and Britain ’ s reputation at large .
“ If the UK leaves without a deal , we are concerned that there may be a global perception of the UK not having sufficient co-operation with the EU , and therefore a perception that the UK is no longer a landing pad for brands to come to the UK first , ” the report said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services “ is one area where a bad deal could be worse than no deal ” , if mutual recognition of professional qualifications is not granted in any trade agreement with the EU .
The same concerns apply to the UK ’ s financial services and creative industries , the committee warned , “ both of which face some of the same vulnerability and threats raised in this report ” .
Shanker Singham , chief executive at policy consultancy Competere , said : “ The ecosystem for financial services is not just banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers , accountants and related professionals.
” Read more : EU leaders ‘ to insist on tough enforcement powers ’ for any Brexit deal Securing a data-sharing deal with the EU is integral to current trade agreement negotiations , with many businesses relying on the free flow of data between the UK and EU .
The Prime Minister has previously said that a data adequacy agreement , in which the UK ’ s data regulations are deemed sufficiently similar to the EU ’ s , is “ self-evidently in the [ UK ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lords committee today said it is “ alarmed about the lack of an EU decision on the data adequacy ” so far .
“ We are concerned that there is a possibility that the commission may not grant the UK a data adequacy decision , ” it added .
It comes after a ruling last week by the EU ’ s top court dealt a major blow to the UK ’ s chances of securing a post-Brexit data-sharing agreement with the EU .
The European Court of Justice ( ECJ ) that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data is illegal under EU law unless there is a “ serious threat to national security ” .
Read more : EU regulators draw up ‘ hit list ’ of tech giants to share data with smaller rivals The Prime Minister in February said the UK was planning to set up sovereign controls over its data sharing policies , and that Britain could diverge from EU rules once it leaves the bloc .
However , the PM has said he is “ confident ” the UK will secure an adequacy agreement with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period .
Before the Open : Get the jump on the markets with our early morning newsletter

UK’s £225bn professional services industry risks ‘catastrophic’ hit from Brexit
Britain’s £225bn professional services industry has been ignored by the government and is under “catastrophic” threat of losing business to the EU post-Brexit, a parliamentary committee has warned.
A House of Lords’ EU services subcommittee report published yesterday said the UK’s accountants, lawyers, recruiters, architects and advertisers are under risk of losing contracts and jobs when Britain formally leaves the bloc in January.
The report accused the government of ignoring the “hugely important sector” — which makes up around 13 per cent of the UK workforce — in trade negotiations with the EU.
Committee chair Baroness Donaghy said: “This sector, and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods, will suffer if its needs are not reflected in the UK’s negotiations with the EU.
“We are concerned that they have been overlooked in the negotiations so far.”
Jack of all trade deals
The professional services sector is the UK’s leading services export, contributing around three times more than cars — Britain’s leading goods export.
Meanwhile, the EU is the largest market for UK professional services, making up 37 per cent of UK exports from the sector.
The Lords committee warned that even a “Canada-style” trade deal with the EU, in which the UK would avoid tariffs and quotas, would not be enough to prevent huge restrictions on professional services exports to the continent at the end of the Brexit transition period.
Under Canada’s current trade agreement with the EU — known as Ceta — European countries are permitted to apply “national reservations” to shield their firms from foreign competition.
Reservations can include demands that companies prove local talent is not available, that foreign professionals become residents in certain countries, and that firms adopt domestic corporate structures.
Simon Davis, president of the Law Society and partner at Clifford Chance, said: “All Ceta does is say that it would be a good thing to have some kind of mutual recognition… but nothing has happened.”
The committee added that Ceta-style reservations “could be catastrophic for the UK’s professional and business services sectors”.
“Without a UK-EU agreement, UK lawyers may become unable to operate in the EU under UK-specific corporate structures, in particular limited liability partnerships,” the report said.
The PM has previously said that any trade deal with the EU must be inked before 15 October
Deal or no deal
Time is running out for the UK to secure a trade deal with the EU, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that any agreement must be struck before an EU summit in Brussels tomorrow.
If the UK does not strike a deal by then, it is highly likely Britain will leave the EU without a deal at the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January.
Peers warned today that a no-deal Brexit would be hugely damaging for the UK’s professional services industry and Britain’s reputation at large.
“If the UK leaves without a deal, we are concerned that there may be a global perception of the UK not having sufficient co-operation with the EU, and therefore a perception that the UK is no longer a landing pad for brands to come to the UK first,” the report said.
However, it added that professional services “is one area where a bad deal could be worse than no deal”, if mutual recognition of professional qualifications is not granted in any trade agreement with the EU.
The same concerns apply to the UK’s financial services and creative industries, the committee warned, “both of which face some of the same vulnerability and threats raised in this report”.
John Gould, senior partner at law firm Russell-Cooke, told City A.M: “Apart from a lack of focus and resource, the government’s difficulty is that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants.
“Is it more interested in facilitating the movement of UK professionals abroad or regulating the inward flow? If you don’t know where to go, you tend to stand still.”
Beyzade Beyzade, head of corporate and employment law at Chancery Lane Law, told City A.M. failure to achieve a tailored trade deal for professional services would wipe out the UK’s legal credibility.
“I’m currently working on a case involving multiple law firms, KPMG, various other accountants and university professors all across the EU — that kind of cooperation is just not going to be possible if you don’t have the same legal systems, the same judgements, the same qualifications after Brexit,” he said.
“I’m not sure that I would agree that the government has ignored the professional services industry — there was reference to it in the political declaration. But I’m also not sure how realistic it is to expect a piecemeal negotiation for professional services.
“It’s all getting very close — and now we have a pandemic on the cards.”
Best before data
Securing a data-sharing deal with the EU is integral to current trade agreement negotiations, with many businesses relying on the free flow of data between the UK and EU.
The Prime Minister has previously said that a data adequacy agreement, in which the UK’s data regulations are deemed sufficiently similar to the EU’s and therefore allowed to continue as usual, is “self-evidently in the [UK’s] interests”.
However, the Lords committee yesterday said it is “alarmed about the lack of an EU decision on a data adequacy” agreement so far.
“We are concerned that there is a possibility that the commission may not grant the UK a data adequacy decision,” it added.
It comes after a ruling last week by the EU’s top court dealt a major blow to the UK’s chances of securing a post-Brexit data-sharing agreement with the EU.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that unrestrained mass surveillance of phone and internet data is illegal under EU law unless there is a “serious threat to national security”.
The Prime Minister in February said the UK was planning to set up sovereign controls over its data sharing policies, and that Britain could diverge from EU rules once it leaves the bloc.
However, the PM has said he is “confident” the UK will secure an adequacy agreement with the bloc by the end of the transition period.
Before the Open: Get the jump on the markets with our early morning newsletter


cityam--2020-10-13--New Lib Dem mayoral candidate calls for City of London offices to be converted into homes

The Liberal Democrats ’ new London mayoral candidate has called for empty office space in the City of London to be converted into affordable housing .
Former MEP Luisa Porritt – who was today unveiled as the Liberal Democrats ’ candidate for the 2021 mayoral election – told City A.M. that using offices left empty by a potential permanent switch to home working could help alleviate London ’ s housing shortages .
Read more : Exclusive : No scrutiny of disgraced Liberal Democrat candidate due to ‘ wealthy connections ’ Porritt was chosen to represent the party in next May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous candidate Siobhan Benita dropped out when the election was postponed by a year due to Covid .
Benita announced shortly after that she had quit the Lib Dems altogether due to “ serious issues ” with the party ’ s internal workings .
Porritt , a Camden councillor , won the nomination by default , after her opponent in the party ’ s primary race Sangeeta Sidhu-Robb was forced to quit when a video of her saying antisemitic comments in 1997 emerged .
Porritt said today that the “ pandemic would change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need big ideas and urgent action to rise to the challenge ” .
Before the Open newsletter : Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data “ It ’ s out of touch to tell everyone to go back to work , because a lot of companies , particularly financial firms , are saying that working from home will be in palace for a long time or will be permanent , ” she said .
“ I think we should make more homes affordable in the centre of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
“ We ned to make sure that the centre of London does not collapse and we could do that by making it somewhere to live and not just somewhere to commute to.
” When asked how office blocks with high commercial rents could be made affordable for low wage families , she said : “ It ’ s not completely fleshed out yet , but there would need to be some kind of incentives and nudges to ensure it is affordable.
” Porritt ’ s candidacy comes at a time where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read more : Sir Ed Davey elected as leader of the Liberal Democrats The party ’ s poll ratings have dropped even further since its disastrous 2019 election , with new leader Sir Ed Davey struggling to attract more than 5 per cent on most Westminster polls .
The party is also said to be strapped for cash .
City A.M. revealed last month that several Liberal Democrat insiders were concerned that the party had not done its due diligence when vetting Siddhu-Robb as a candidate and that she was brought in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donations – a claim the party denies .

New Lib Dem mayoral candidate calls for City of London offices to be converted into homes
Luisa Porritt was chosen to represent the part in next May’s mayoral poll, after its previous candidate Siobhan Benita dropped out when the election was postponed by a year due to Covid.
The Liberal Democrats’ new London mayoral candidate has called for empty office space in the City of London to be converted into affordable housing.
Former MEP Luisa Porritt – who was today unveiled as the Liberal Democrats’ candidate for the 2021 mayoral election – told City A.M. that using offices left empty by a potential permanent switch to home working could help alleviate London’s housing shortages.
Porritt was chosen to represent the party in next May’s mayoral poll, after its previous candidate Siobhan Benita dropped out when the election was postponed by a year due to Covid.
Benita announced shortly after that she had quit the Lib Dems altogether due to “serious issues” with the party’s internal workings.
Porritt, a Camden councillor, won the nomination by default, after her opponent in the party’s primary race Sangeeta Sidhu-Robb was forced to quit when a video of her saying antisemitic comments in 1997 emerged.
Porritt said today that the “pandemic would change our city forever” and that “we need big ideas and urgent action to rise to the challenge”.
Before the Open newsletter: Start your day with the City View podcast and key market data
“It’s out of touch to tell everyone to go back to work, because a lot of companies, particularly financial firms, are saying that working from home will be in palace for a long time or will be permanent,” she said.
“I think we should make more homes affordable in the centre of London by converting empty office spaces into homes.
“We ned to make sure that the centre of London does not collapse and we could do that by making it somewhere to live and not just somewhere to commute to.”
When asked how office blocks with high commercial rents could be made affordable for low wage families, she said: “It’s not completely fleshed out yet, but there would need to be some kind of incentives and nudges to ensure it is affordable.”
Porritt’s candidacy comes at a time where the Liberal Democrats are struggling for relevance.
The party’s poll ratings have dropped even further since its disastrous 2019 election, with new leader Sir Ed Davey struggling to attract more than 5 per cent on most Westminster polls.
The party is also said to be strapped for cash.
City A.M. revealed last month that several Liberal Democrat insiders were concerned that the party had not done its due diligence when vetting Siddhu-Robb as a candidate and that she was brought in for her potential ability to provide large donations – a claim the party denies.


cityam--2020-10-13--FTSE 100 retreats as PM introduces new coronavirus restrictions

The FTSE 100 opened lower on Tuesday on concerns about the economic impact of the government ’ s new coronavirus restrictions .
London ’ s blue chip index sank 0.4 per cent lower at 5,975 points .
The mid-cap FTSE 250 shed 0.8 per cent .
Read more : Coronavirus : London escapes new restrictions , but City Hall says it won ’ t last In a Downing Street briefing on Monday , Boris Johnson , flanked by the chief medical officer Chris Whitty and Chancellor Rishi Sunak , announced new restrictions as cases continue to rise .
London managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was placed into the highest category which will see hospitality venues shut and social mixing banned .
Johnson said any area put in the high risk category will have these restrictions as a “ baseline ” .
He added that extra conditions may be imposed depending on local factors .
In Europe , Germany ’ s Dax and France ’ s CAC fell 0.5 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively .
The pan-European Stoxx 600 shed 0.2 per cnet .
A set of sobering stats from the Office for National Statistics ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears over the economic impact of the pandemic , with redundancies soaring to their highest level in more than a decade .
Read more : Record rise in redundancies as firms battle coronavirus crisis During the Downing Street briefing on Monday evening , the Chancellor talked up the “ comprehensive plan ” to “ protect jobs ” .
He restated the new support for closed businesses in areas with tighter restrictions .
But as the furlough scheme comes to an end unemployment stats come into sharp focus once more .
The latest figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 113,000 on the year , and a record 114,000 on the quarter , to 227,000 .
The annual increase was the largest since April to June 2009 and the number of redundancies reached its highest level since May to July 2009 .
The UK unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points to 4.5 per cent .
Read more : Business bodies urge chancellor to ‘ go further ’ with new furlough scheme However the claimant count increased by a significantly less than forecast 28,000 compared to the expected 78,7000 .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show those coming off the furlough scheme as company contribution increases ” , financial market analyst Fiona Cincotta said .
There will likely be a sharp rise as the government ’ s job retention scheme comes to a formal end and firms rely on the less generous Job Support Scheme .
This will be exacerbated by the introduction of the government ’ s new tiered coronavirus restrictions .
Retail and leisure firms sink on new restrictions Retail and consumer leisure firms weighed on London stocks this morning after news of tighter restrictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday following the shock exit of chief executive Alex Cruz announced on Monday .
Waning consumer demand coupled with tighter coronavirus restrictions announced yesterday did little to quell investors ’ nerves .
And shares in the UK ’ s pub operators also fell on the back of Boris Johnson ’ s new restrictions .
Wetherspoon ’ s fell 1.1 per cent while Mitchell ’ s and Butlers plunged 6.4 per cent .
Supermarkets Morrison ’ s and Tesco bucked the trend after Kantar figures showed 12-week sales rose 9.2 per cent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SSE led the FTSE 100 by mid-morning .
It climbed four per cent after striking a deal to sell its 50 per cent of an energy from waste venture for nearly £1bn .
The sales are part of SSE ’ s plan to raise £2bn in divestments by autumn next year , a key part of its intention to invest £7.5bn in low-carbon infrastructure over the next five years .

FTSE 100 and US stocks slip amid second-wave worries
A street sign advises members of the public to “Maintain Social Distance” in Liverpool, north west England on October 12, 2020, as new local lockdown measures are set to be imposed to help stem a second wave of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to present a new three-tiered alert system for coronavirus cases in England on Monday, with Liverpool in the northwest expected to be the only city placed in the top category. Like governments throughout Europe, Johnson’s conservative cabinet is seeking to balance bringing down the rate of new infections against concern about the economy and frustration among voters. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The FTSE 100 was set to end the day lower and US stocks fell as concerns about rising coronavirus cases and new restrictions weighed on global sentiment.
London’s blue chip index opened lower and was down 0.8 per cent by 4pm at 5,951 points. The mid-cap FTSE 250 had shed 1.5 per cent.
Read more: Coronavirus: London escapes new restrictions, but City Hall says it won’t last
On Wall Street, investors were troubled by Johnson & Johnson suspending its coronavirus vaccine trials.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.4 per cent. The Dow Jones was down 0.3 per cent but the tech-heavy Nasdaq was 0.2 per cent higher.
On the continent, Germany’s Dax was down 1.3 per cent. France’s CAC 40 slipped one per cent and the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 was 0.8 per cent lower.
New restrictions damped the FTSE 100’s mood
Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday announced a new three-tiered system of restrictions as coronavirus cases continued to rise.
London managed to escape new measures. Liverpool was placed into the highest category which will see hospitality venues shut and social mixing banned.
A set of sobering stats from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also did little to quell fears over the economic impact of the pandemic. They showed that redundancies have soared to their highest level in more than a decade.
Travel, property, investment and banking firms weighed on the London market after the tighter restrictions were announced.
Rolls Royce, the jet engine-maker, led the fallers with a 6.3 per cent drop. Hargreaves Lansdown and Lloyds were not far behind, falling 4.9 per cent.
Land Securities was down 4.8 per cent and British Land was 4.7 per cent lower.
“The next couple of quarters is going to be extremely challenging for many countries,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at currency firm Oanda.
“And the UK can count itself among those with the worst prospects.” He said that the latest fiscal support measures will not be enough “to stop a surge in unemployment”.
US stocks slip amid vaccine worries
Wall Street shares jumped yesterday. Among the things cheered investors were hopes that a Democrat victory in next month’s presidential election would lead to a big stimulus package.
Yet that enthusiasm waned today. Dampening the mood was the news that Johnson & Johnson had suspended its coronavirus vaccine clinical trials after a participant had fallen ill.
Connor Campbell, market analyst at trading platform Spreadex, said: “Facing Covid-19 vaccine delays, election anxiety and a stuffed third-quarter earnings season, the Dow Jones joined its European peers in the red on Tuesday.”
Johnson & Johnson shares dropped 2.1 per cent. Citigroup’s shares fell 3.6 per cent after it posted a 34 per cent year on year fall in third-quarter profit.
JP Morgan’s shares slipped 1.4 per cent despite its profit growing and beating analysts’ expectations.


cityam--2020-10-13--The Top 7 Googled Questions on Blockchain Technology Answered!

I use Google search a lot .
After more than 20 years of using Google Search , I ’ m pretty good at producing the results I want .
Even so , one of Google ’ s most useful features , is Autocomplete Predictions .
On my machine ( because my search history will look different to yours because of those annoying things that don ’ t actually go with milk – cookies ) I can type in the phrase “ blockchain ” and then a single space and – PRESTO !
– I get autocomplete suggestions : Since these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what better way to support the community than to provide some straightforward answers .
Sure , it wasn ’ t the top of the list , but it will be helpful to get a simple understanding of what people mean when they say blockchain .
Equally , this is one of those topics that can lead to some furious debates amongst purists , technologists – and crypto enthusiasts .
Blockchain can mean different things based on the context .
Blockchain can refer to the actual data – the ledger .
Blockchain can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of computers that manage and maintain the data .
Blockchain can mean the protocol – the software and the rules the network uses to manage the data .
Some people will use blockchain interchangeably with DLT ( distributed ledger technology ) .
DLT isn ’ t nearly as sexy as blockchain .
Technically , all blockchain protocols are DLT .
But not all DLT protocols are blockchain .
Misuse of the word “ blockchain ” has caused no end of confusion .
But folks are gon na do what folks are gon na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given up on trying to get people to use the word blockchain correctly even if we are scuppered by language .
And in the spirit of defining something by stating what it is not : Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency .
Blockchain is not bitcoin .
Blockchain is not something you can regulate .
“ Sadly , there is an entirely deficient focus on building business cases BEFORE deciding if blockchain is required.
” Blockchain technology is where there is enormous interest .
LinkedIn identified that blockchain is the # 1 Hard Skill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blockchain is in coding how this network of computers communicate .
This covers things like keeping all of the copies of the ledger in sync , ensuring that new data added to the blockchain is allowed – and that the data is correct .
The technology also covers smart contracts ( small programs that run automatically and update the blockchain ) .
This is all the ‘ computer science-y ’ bits of blockchain .
Blockchain has always had a thriving tech community committed to principles of open source and collaboration .
Sadly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building business cases around business problems – and then identifying the best way to apply blockchain technology .
Ideally , you always want to focus on the MEB ( Minimum Effective Blockchain ) Whether you like leather or neoprene ( No .
I ’ m not going there… ) nearly everyone has a wallet .
Inside your real-world wallet you typically have a bunch of credit cards , maybe some loyalty cards and possibly even some pound notes .
You keep your wallet safe .
And you never keep your pin codes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right ?
A blockchain wallet holds the equivalent of a list of your credit card numbers , your bank account and sort codes and your email addresses .
It also contains your pin codes and your passwords .
You may have heard these described as your public and private keys .
These public and private keys permit you to participate in all of the blockchain networks where you are a member .
Some may be cryptocurrency blockchains .
Others may be supply chain blockchains .
You may even have a public/private key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose your wallet ( without an emergency backup ) , then you are out of luck .
There is no one to call to reset your pin code .
There is no one to call to ask what your account number is .
Your blockchain wallet should be treated with greater care than your physical wallet – by a factor of 10 !
.
Remember , at the beginning ; I explained that blockchain could be the protocol , the network or the data in the ledger ?
A blockchain explorer is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the data in the blockchain and make queries against that data .
You might use a blockchain explorer for example to check if a transaction has completed .
Anti-fraud companies use very sophisticated blockchain explorers to trace transactions through the network to look for unusual ( or outright illegal ) activity .
Your blockchain wallet may have a blockchain explorer built into it .
That ’ s how your wallet can show you a transaction history for each of your blockchain keys .
Now I ’ m not sure what people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blockchain login ” .
I guess that they think that blockchain is some website and they want to know how they can log in to the blockchain .
Sure .
Cryptocurrency exchanges have logins .
Supply chain systems and other enterprise blockchain solutions have logins .
Even some online blockchain wallets have logins ( ProTip – having an online wallet is a terrible idea ) .
Blockchain itself has no login .
The blockchain protocol doesn ’ t have a login .
The blockchain ledger data has no login .
And the blockchain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people could be looking for new systems that use blockchain technology for ‘ secure login ’ .
There are a number of these systems in development that allow logging in without the need to give away personal information and without using a password .
It ’ s still very early days for this application of the technology .
Now , these two suggestions are interesting .
These tell me that the top two areas of interest for product development in blockchain are cybersecurity and DNS .
Curiously ( or not ) I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Cyber Security / DNS .
I think that both of these are super exciting areas and there are a wide range of ( in all honesty , really terrible ) solutions in the market currently .
So many people completely misunderstand and abuse the core principles of blockchain .
But hey – At least they ’ re trying .
Over time , the real winners in applying blockchain to aspects of cybersecurity and DNS correctly will bubble up to the surface , and that will be super interesting .
And even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my favourite topics and use cases in blockchain is the ongoing development in the area of self-sovereign identity ( SSI ) So , there you have it .
All in a single article .
Everything you needed to know on the top 7 Predictive Autocompletes for “ blockchain “ queries !
Let me know in the comments which ones in your predictive autocomplete that I missed !
Get in touch with us info @ blockchainrookies.com / Twitter @ troy_norcross Troy Norcross is an international speaker , educator and strategist on Blockchain as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Troy has provided blockchain training and strategy support to high street banks across Europe , Asia and India .
Troy specialises in enterprise-scale business model transformation projects where Blockchain technology enables business models , strategies and efficiencies , which previously were not considered possible .
Troy is Co-Founder of Blockchain Rookies .
He has a 25+ year career covering multiple market verticals including agriculture , aerospace , IT infrastructure , telecoms-media-technology ( TMT ) , digital music , healthcare service innovation , eCommerce and most recently Blockchain business strategy for enterprises , industries @ @ @ @

Crypto AM: Inside Blockchain with Troy Norcross

The Top 7 Googled Questions on Blockchain Technology Answered!
iStock Photos
I use Google search a lot. After more than 20 years of using Google Search, I’m pretty good at producing the results I want. Even so, one of Google’s most useful features, is Autocomplete Predictions.
On my machine (because my search history will look different to yours because of those annoying things that don’t actually go with milk – cookies) I can type in the phrase “blockchain” and then a single space and – PRESTO! – I get autocomplete suggestions:
Since these are the topics people are searching for, what better way to support the community than to provide some straightforward answers.
Blockchain Meaning / Blockchain Definition
Sure, it wasn’t the top of the list, but it will be helpful to get a simple understanding of what people mean when they say blockchain. Equally, this is one of those topics that can lead to some furious debates amongst purists, technologists – and crypto enthusiasts.
Blockchain can mean different things based on the context. Blockchain can refer to the actual data – the ledger. Blockchain can refer to the network – the group of computers that manage and maintain the data. Blockchain can mean the protocol – the software and the rules the network uses to manage the data.
Some people will use blockchain interchangeably with DLT (distributed ledger technology). DLT isn’t nearly as sexy as blockchain. Technically, all blockchain protocols are DLT. But not all DLT protocols are blockchain. Misuse of the word “blockchain” has caused no end of confusion.
But folks are gonna do what folks are gonna do. I have (almost) given up on trying to get people to use the word blockchain correctly even if we are scuppered by language.
And in the spirit of defining something by stating what it is not: Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency. Blockchain is not bitcoin. Blockchain is not something you can regulate.
“Sadly, there is an entirely deficient focus on building business cases BEFORE deciding if blockchain is required.”
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology is where there is enormous interest. LinkedIn identified that blockchain is the #1 Hard Skill for 2020. The technology side of blockchain is in coding how this network of computers communicate. This covers things like keeping all of the copies of the ledger in sync, ensuring that new data added to the blockchain is allowed – and that the data is correct. The technology also covers smart contracts (small programs that run automatically and update the blockchain). This is all the ‘computer science-y’ bits of blockchain.
Blockchain has always had a thriving tech community committed to principles of open source and collaboration.
Sadly, there is an entirely deficient focus on building business cases around business problems – and then identifying the best way to apply blockchain technology. Ideally, you always want to focus on the MEB (Minimum Effective Blockchain)
Blockchain Wallet
Whether you like leather or neoprene (No. I’m not going there…) nearly everyone has a wallet. Inside your real-world wallet you typically have a bunch of credit cards, maybe some loyalty cards and possibly even some pound notes. You keep your wallet safe. And you never keep your pin codes for your credit/debit cards in your wallet. Right?
A blockchain wallet holds the equivalent of a list of your credit card numbers, your bank account and sort codes and your email addresses. It also contains your pin codes and your passwords. You may have heard these described as your public and private keys.
These public and private keys permit you to participate in all of the blockchain networks where you are a member. Some may be cryptocurrency blockchains. Others may be supply chain blockchains. You may even have a public/private key to access a property blockchain.
If you lose your wallet (without an emergency backup), then you are out of luck. There is no one to call to reset your pin code. There is no one to call to ask what your account number is. Your blockchain wallet should be treated with greater care than your physical wallet – by a factor of 10!.
Blockchain Explorer
Remember, at the beginning; I explained that blockchain could be the protocol, the network or the data in the ledger? A blockchain explorer is a piece of software that lets someone look at the data in the blockchain and make queries against that data.
You might use a blockchain explorer for example to check if a transaction has completed. Anti-fraud companies use very sophisticated blockchain explorers to trace transactions through the network to look for unusual (or outright illegal) activity.
Your blockchain wallet may have a blockchain explorer built into it. That’s how your wallet can show you a transaction history for each of your blockchain keys.
“Newsflash: Blockchain doesn’t have a login.”
Blockchain Login
Now I’m not sure what people are looking for when they search for “blockchain login”. I guess that they think that blockchain is some website and they want to know how they can log in to the blockchain.
Newsflash: You can’t. Blockchain doesn’t have a login.
Sure. Cryptocurrency exchanges have logins. Supply chain systems and other enterprise blockchain solutions have logins. Even some online blockchain wallets have logins (ProTip – having an online wallet is a terrible idea).
Blockchain itself has no login. The blockchain protocol doesn’t have a login. The blockchain ledger data has no login. And the blockchain network has no login.
Alternatively, some people could be looking for new systems that use blockchain technology for ‘secure login’. There are a number of these systems in development that allow logging in without the need to give away personal information and without using a password. It’s still very early days for this application of the technology.
Blockchain DNS & Blockchain Cyber Security
Now, these two suggestions are interesting. These tell me that the top two areas of interest for product development in blockchain are cybersecurity and DNS. Curiously (or not) I have already written about each of these: Cyber Security / DNS.
I think that both of these are super exciting areas and there are a wide range of (in all honesty, really terrible) solutions in the market currently.
So many people completely misunderstand and abuse the core principles of blockchain. But hey – At least they’re trying.
Over time, the real winners in applying blockchain to aspects of cybersecurity and DNS correctly will bubble up to the surface, and that will be super interesting.
And even though you didn’t ask: One of my favourite topics and use cases in blockchain is the ongoing development in the area of self-sovereign identity (SSI)
So, there you have it. All in a single article. Everything you needed to know on the top 7 Predictive Autocompletes for “blockchain“ queries!
Let me know in the comments which ones in your predictive autocomplete that I missed!
Get in touch with us info@blockchainrookies.com / Twitter @troy_norcross
Troy Norcross, Co-Founder Blockchain Rookies
Twitter: @troy_norcross


cityam--2020-10-13--Mortgage applications soar after coronavirus lockdown lifted

Mortgage applications soared after lockdown was lifted this summer , reaching an estimated value of £216bn , however the closure of the housing market means lending is expected to be down compared to last year .
Pent-up demand and government incentives helped to jolt the UK property market back to life after restrictions were eased following the UK coronavirus lockdown .
Read more : The answer to Britain ’ s housing crisis is more houses – not risky mortgages The latest research showed that mortgage applications were up 13 per cent year on year in July , followed by rises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and September .
According to data from Experian , 1.2m mortgages will be agreed this year at a value of £216bn , compared to 2019 ’ s £250bn across 1.5m loans .
Lenders are facing challenges to make sure the loans they offer are affordable for borrowers in the long-term .
About 1.9m mortgage accounts are currently subject to an Emergency Payment Holiday ( EPH ) .
These mortgage accounts have an average balance of £150,000 , 30 per cent higher than the £114,000 owed by those who have not paused repayments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ services at Experian , said : “ People moving home is good news for the economy , as activity in the property market fuels growth in related services .
Tax incentives and an extended period indoors have encouraged people to make a move this summer , as our analysis shows .
Read more : Banking sector warns against irresponsible lending after PM ’ s low deposit mortgage pledge “ Most moves require a mortgage and , while lenders want to extend new loans , they have a responsibility to ensure homebuyers are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long-term .
“ Covid-19 has complicated the financial situation for millions of people , and the challenge for lenders to understand each applicant ’ s circumstances has become more difficult as a result .
Both traditional and new data sources will help lenders to make the highest quality decisions to keep Britain moving .
”

Mortgage applications soar after coronavirus lockdown lifted
Mortgage applications soared after lockdown was lifted this summer, reaching an estimated value of £216bn, however the closure of the housing market means lending is expected to be down compared to last year.
Pent-up demand and government incentives helped to jolt the UK property market back to life after restrictions were eased following the UK coronavirus lockdown.
The latest research showed that mortgage applications were up 13 per cent year on year in July, followed by rises of 25 per cent in both August and September.
According to data from Experian, 1.2m mortgages will be agreed this year at a value of £216bn, compared to 2019’s £250bn across 1.5m loans.
Lenders are facing challenges to make sure the loans they offer are affordable for borrowers in the long-term.
About 1.9m mortgage accounts are currently subject to an Emergency Payment Holiday (EPH). These mortgage accounts have an average balance of £150,000, 30 per cent higher than the £114,000 owed by those who have not paused repayments.
Lisa Fretwell, managing director of data services at Experian, said: “People moving home is good news for the economy, as activity in the property market fuels growth in related services. Tax incentives and an extended period indoors have encouraged people to make a move this summer, as our analysis shows.
“Most moves require a mortgage and, while lenders want to extend new loans, they have a responsibility to ensure homebuyers are only taking on what they can afford in the long-term.
“Covid-19 has complicated the financial situation for millions of people, and the challenge for lenders to understand each applicant’s circumstances has become more difficult as a result. Both traditional and new data sources will help lenders to make the highest quality decisions to keep Britain moving.”