The EU’s top court yesterday ruled that transactions in bitcoin should be exempt from value added tax in a move that brings the virtual currency more in line with traditional cash.

In a week when reports suggest the pace of retail bank branch closures is speeding up, Metro Bank has opened a new drive-thru branch that will be open 362 days a year.

Lloyds is planning to start running training programmes that aim to equip the bank’s employees with the skills to work on digital innovation.

The US-based startup, which is currently planning to globally ship its Smart Terminal, has raised $28m in Series B funding led by Oak HC/FT.

The PaymentEye team is looking forward to Money20/20 in Las Vegas next week, where we’ve partnered with The Bancorp on its Finetics™ Studio executive interview series.

A gift shop owner told Congress on Wednesday that making the change to chip-and-signature credit cards has been “overwhelming” for many small businesses and that owners are disappointed that without PINs they are being pressured to make an expensive investment without receiving the full level of security that could be provided.