Category: Digital economy

Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future

The latest slump in the prices of Bitcoin (and many of its peers) has put a serious dent in their credibility as a reliable means of payment, let alone as a store of value or a sound investment. But this is certainly not the end for digital currencies. If anything, the crash in the prices … Continue reading Forget Bitcoin’s latest collapse, digital currencies are still the future →

The pros and (mostly) cons of an online sales tax

The Sunday Times has reported that UK officials are mulling two new taxes on digital businesses – an online sales tax and an ‘excess profits tax’ – in order to help fill the hole in the public finances and support the High Street. In my view, both are bad ideas. In general, economists quite like … Continue reading The pros and (mostly) cons of an online sales tax →

Access to cash is a far bigger problem than the ‘missing’ £50 billion

On 4th December, the UK parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on the production and distribution of cash. The press release was headlined ‘PAC urges Bank of England to investigate “missing” £50 billion of sterling notes’. This emphasis was unhelpful and drew attention away from the real problems. The media coverage did at … Continue reading Access to cash is a far bigger problem than the ‘missing’ £50 billion →