The pace at which retail banks are closing their branches is speeding up, with 650 branch closures expected this year – up from 500 branches in 2014 following 222 in 2013, according to the Campaign for Community Banking Services.

Alibaba has made its biggest foray into European markets yet by appointing country managers to run its UK and Italian offices, in a bid to serve as a “gateway to China” for international brands and businesses of all sizes.

The unicorn peer-to-peer lending platform has acquired its European rival, Zencap, in a deal that will see it expand into Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, alongside its existing operations in the UK and US.

In 1989, ‘Back to the Future II’ was released and was set in 2015 – October 21st, 2015 to be precise. The film made some bold predictions about technology, financial technology in particular and today is the day the predictions can be properly assessed.

To continue the ‘Back to the Future’ theme of foresight, this infographic considers what the payments landscape looks like today and how it will continue to evolve in the near future.

The first agent who pleaded guilty in July to stealing $700,000 worth of bitcoin, has been sentenced to six and half years in prison by a San Francisco judge.