UK | Ricardo's threads

With bitcoin hitting new highs, it’ll likely reach the US$100,000 milestone before 2024 is out

03/12/2024 The Conversation UK

Cryptocurrencies are surging again. Bitcoin has just hit an all-time high of more than US$72,000 (£56,300), pushing past the level of circa US$69,000 where it turned back during its last bull phase in late 2021.

Other top cryptocurrencies like ethereum and solana have reached their highest prices in three years, on the back of a run that has been going since the autumn. The value of the whole cryptocurrency market has raced up to US$2.6 trillion, triple what it was worth at the beginning of 2023 and not far off its previous US$3 trillion peak.

Hayek’s Road to Serfdom at 80: what critics get wrong about the Austrian economist

03/11/2024 The Conversation UK

“The most powerful critique of socialist planning and the socialist state”, is how Margaret Thatcher described Friedrich von Hayek’s book, The Road to Serfdom. Published in March 1944 during the Austrian economist’s tenure at the London School of Economics (LSE), the book has been enduringly popular among free-market liberals.

Venezuelan migrants are boosting economic growth in South America, says research

03/11/2024 The Conversation UK

Venezuela is engulfed in a political and economic crisis, which has forced over 6 million people – some 20% of the population – to flee the country since 2015. The mass exodus began when Venezuela’s economy collapsed, giving rise to rampant inflation, political turmoil and pervasive violence.

Spring budget: slavishly following fiscal rules is holding back this government and will hold back the next one

03/08/2024 The Conversation UK

The March 2024 budget turned into an exercise in political game playing rather than an attempt to address the UK’s ongoing economic woes. It was dominated by more cuts to national insurance (after a previous drop in January this year), which the chancellor hopes will revive the government’s electoral fortunes ahead of the general election.

Why Israel’s economy is resilient in spite of the war

03/07/2024 The Conversation UK

Melnikov Dmitriy/ShutterstockIsrael’s war in Gaza and more limited conflict with Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon is taking a toll on the Israeli economy.

Budget 2024: experts explain what it means for taxpayers, businesses, borrowers and the NHS

03/06/2024 The Conversation UK

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldn’t he cut income tax? (He wouldn’t.) Would he pull rabbits out of hats in a bid to convince the electorate that the Conservatives should stay in power? Here’s what our panel of experts made of his plans:

National insurance cut only partially offsets rising tax burden

Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance, The Open University

Nigeria: botched economic reforms plunge the country into crisis

03/06/2024 The Conversation UK

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is facing an economic crisis. From a botched currency redesign to the removal of fuel subsidies and a currency float, the nation has been plunged into spiralling inflation and a currency crisis with far-reaching consequences. The question now is: how long before the inferno consumes everything?

If you follow the degrowth agenda, it leads to an economy that looks a lot like the sickly UK

03/05/2024 The Conversation UK

The degrowth movement has become very popular in recent years, particularly among younger people who appreciate its critique of the endless pursuit of economic expansion. The problem with growth, advocates argue, is that it implies the use of more and more resources and energy, as well as ever larger quantities of waste.

Kylian Mbappé has trademarked his iconic goal celebration – why a pose can form part of a player’s protected brand

03/05/2024 The Conversation UK

Kylian Mbappé celebrating a goal with his trademark celebration. Victor Velter/ShutterstockFrench football superstar Kylian Mbappé celebrates most of his goals by crossing his arms and tucking his hands underneath his armpits. It has become one of the most iconic goal celebrations in the world.

Europe’s tech industry is lagging behind the US – but it gives the continent a chance to write the rules of the game

03/05/2024 The Conversation UK

The US largely dominates the technology landscape. Sergei Elagin/ShutterstockEurope invests a lot in research, and publishes and patents many ideas. But it fails to compete with the US and China when it comes to translating its innovation effort into large, global technology firms.

UK

Pages