Business

Many companies now see blockchain as a core technology for business problems. They want faster settlement, stronger security, and fewer intermediaries in operations. Web3 markets matured after the first hype and early speculation phase. Now more companies test blockchain in real products, not pilots. Recent data shows how quickly this shift is scaling. Market.us values the global blockchain technology market at USD 372 billion in 2025. It projects growth to about USD 12,895 billion by...

If you live in London and regularly book a rubbish removal service, you’ve probably noticed how prices fluctuate throughout the year — even when the job itself is identical. One week you might get a full van load collected for £250, and a few months later, the same company could quote £350 or more. It’s not random or because someone is “ripping you off.” In reality, waste removal prices in London are closely linked to...

When executives complain about tax, they rarely have just one levy in mind. A North Sea producer facing an effective tax rate of 78 per cent on profits, a drinks importer hit three times by a packaging payment glitch and a venue staring at a 300 per cent jump in rateable value all see different headlines, but the same trend. Behind the noise sits a structural shift. The UK has layered an Energy Profits Levy...

In just four months, millions of small businesses, sole traders and landlords will need to change how they track and report their finances to HMRC. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) will come into effect and means moving away from annual, paper-based tax returns to more frequent, digital reporting. Under the new rules, you’ll need to use HMRC recognised software to keep digital financial records, send quarterly updates on income and expenses...

Keir Starmer is set to appoint Richard Walker, the executive chair of Iceland Foods and a former Conservative donor, to the House of Lords — marking one of the most striking political shifts in recent years for a senior UK business figure. The Guardian understands that Walker will join a cohort of around 25 new Labour peers expected to be announced later this month, giving the supermarket executive a direct platform in parliament to champion...

Every creative person has had that moment where they look at something beautifully personalized—a monogrammed cutting board, a customized metal tumbler, a sleek engraved leather wallet—and think, “I could totally make that.” Once upon a time, that idea would’ve required a workshop full of industrial tools and a level of skill that bordered on wizardry. Today? Thanks to modern laser engraving technology, that same idea can turn into a real business with surprising ease. Laser...

Some of the UK’s most prominent live-entertainment venues, including The O2, Co-op Live, Manchester Arena, the First Direct Arena in Leeds and Wembley’s SSE Arena, are bracing for some of the sharpest business-rate rises in the country after dramatic increases in their rateable values (RVs) were revealed for 2026. New analysis from global tax firm Ryan shows that almost all major arenas have seen valuations surge, in several cases more than doubling, with Wembley Arena’s...

Lando Norris has become Britain’s newest Formula One world champion after holding his nerve through a tense title decider in Abu Dhabi, securing his first championship and ending the country’s five-year wait for another motorsport hero. The 26-year-old McLaren driver, who grew up in Bristol and has long spoken of idolising Lewis Hamilton, finished third in the season finale, enough to clinch the title by just two points after a fiercely fought contest with Max...

Airbus is set to secure the long-term future of almost 3,000 UK aerospace jobs after striking a long-awaited carve-out deal from Boeing’s takeover of Spirit AeroSystems, a move that ends months of uncertainty for workers in Belfast and Prestwick. Sources say the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer will announce as early as Monday that it is taking on 1,550 staff at Spirit’s Belfast operations and a further 1,200 at the company’s plant in Prestwick, Scotland. It...

Nearly 500 companies have been mistakenly charged multiple times under the government’s new packaging compliance scheme, after a “technical issue” triggered duplicate direct-debit withdrawals during one of the busiest trading periods of the year. PackUK, the body created to administer Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) charges, confirmed that 484 producers, around 11 per cent of those registered, saw their packaging-waste payments taken repeatedly without warning. Industry figures estimate the error resulted in hundreds of thousands of...