Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the UK tax myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

The UK government has launched a review into the “loan charge” in a bid to “bring to a close” the row over the tax avoidance crackdown since linked to multiple suicides.

Treasury minister James Murray told the Financial Times that the impetus behind the review, announced on Thursday, was to resolve outstanding tax debts related to avoidance schemes.

But he added that the review, to be led by former HM Revenue & Customs inspector Ray McCann, would also “maintain fairness [to] the public purse” and other taxpayers who had not engaged in tax avoidance.

“Some of the people affected by the loan charge find it hard to imagine a way out of this situation they’re in . . . For me trying to resolve and bring the matter to a close for them is a driving force for this review,” Murray said in an interview ahead of the announcement.

In 2019, the then Conservative government introduced the “loan charge” in an attempt to clamp down on “disguised remuneration” schemes, which involved workers across a range of sectors being paid in loans via offshore trusts and had proliferated in the previous two decades.

HMRC has previously said about 50,000 people were estimated to be affected by the loan charge and that users’ income was “on average twice as much as the average UK taxpayer”.

The loan charge originally required people affected to pay tax on up to 20 years of income in one financial year, sparking a public outcry and accusations that the government was issuing unreasonable demands.

The previous Tory administration later softened the policy, halving the 20-year timeframe and making it easier to spread repayments.

But six years on from the policy’s launch, tens of thousands of people have yet to settle their affairs with HMRC. The tax authority has reported that the policy has been linked to at least 10 suicides and 13 attempted suicides.

Labour committed to a new independent review of the loan charge before the general election last year. A previous report by Lord Amyas Morse in 2019 was criticised by MPs and campaigners for involving Treasury and HMRC officials.

Murray said the government had “gone to some lengths” to ensure public confidence in the review, which will run until the summer and be staffed by civil servants who have no connection with or experience working on loan charge policy. They will work in a building separate to the Treasury.

McCann, a former president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, said he was “pleased to be asked to help find ways” to resolve the dispute.

McCann previously criticised how HMRC has sought to engage with loan charge campaigners, noting that “all the people [within the agency] who are working on loan schemes could be working on customer service”.

In a statement the government said the review would probe “the barriers preventing those subject to the loan charge from reaching resolution with HMRC and recommend ways in which they can be encouraged to do so”.

Campaigners who have demanded a wide-ranging probe — looking at the role of scheme developers, umbrella companies, recruitment agencies, accountants and tax advisers who recommended the schemes, as well as HMRC — hit at out the announcement.

Steve Packham, of the Loan Charge Action Group, said the proposed review was “a betrayal” and would “not resolve the matter”.

“We are deeply worried about the impact on mental health that the announcement of this sham non-review will have,” he added.

Murray said his meetings with loan charge campaigners last year had alerted him to the policy’s impact and that the government wanted the McCann review, to which it will respond by the autumn Budget, to “provide a way for taxpayers affected to come to a settlement”.

Despite some asking “for a review with a different scope”, Murray added that his priority was “to help those people who feel stuck”.

With laptop and smartphone makers like Samsung spreading generative AI across all aspects of their devices, OpenAI is trying the same with an agentic tool announced on Jan. 23. The tool, called Operator, runs on the same basic technology as ChatGPT but resides within a proprietary web browser. This enables it to autonomously perform actions such as ordering groceries or booking tours.

OpenAI suggested in a blog post Operator could “ope[n] up new engagement opportunities for businesses,” but did not elaborate.

What is OpenAI’s Operator?

Operator is an application that includes a web browser and the generative AI model GPT-4o. It’s the result of an OpenAI project to train GPT-4o’s vision capabilities on the graphical user interfaces found on typical web pages. Its ability to make multi-step plans and correct mistakes independelty if needed set it apart from other efforts to create agentic AI, OpenAI boasted. Operator’s Computer-Using Agent (CUA) model is trained specifically on the buttons, forms, and menus likely to be found on a web page.

Operator is in beta. OpenAI said feedback from early-stage users will be used to improve it.

ChatGPT Pro subscribers can sign up for Operator starting today.

OpenAI plans to provide Operator to Plus, Team, and Enterprise soon. The tech giant also intends to integrate its capabilities into ChatGPT generally. They’ll include the CUA in their API “soon,” according to the blog post.

How does Operator work?

The company says the CUA’s reasoning technique, which they call an “inner monologue,” helps the model understand intermediate steps and adapt to unexpected input. Under the hood, CUA takes screenshots of web pages and uses a virtual mouse and keyboard to navigate.

As with ChatGPT, users can add custom instructions that Operator will remember, such as the user’s preferred airline.

SEE: Threat actors can jailbreak generative AI to automatically create phishing emails and other malicious content.

Users can prompt Operator in natural language the same way they can prompt ChatGPT. Operator is trained to balk at logging in to sites, providing payment details, or passing CAPTCHAs, so it will hand control back to the user for those steps. Operator is programmed not to accept requests — such as making banking transactions — or to weigh in on high-stakes situations, such as deciding whether to hire an employee.

If the Operator encounters an interface it can’t predict how to interact with, it will hand the task back to the user. OpenAI collaborated directly with the following companies to make sure Operator can interact with their sites:

• DoorDash.
• Instacart.
• OpenTable.
• Priceline.
• StubHub.
• Thumbtack.
• Uber.

OpenAI notes that the early iteration of Operator tends to struggle with “complex interfaces,” including creating slideshows or adding items to calendars.

Operator enters into a crowded generative AI landscape

Some of Operator’s functionality overlaps with competitor tools, such as Google Gemini or Apple Intelligence.

Operator invites comparison with Microsoft’s much-maligned Recall feature, which uses screenshots to navigate a PC. Operator also shares some capabilities with Google Lens on Chrome. However, its ability to navigate websites autonomously could be a point of differentiation. Agentic AI, in which generative AI models perform multi-step errands on the user’s account, is either the hot new thing in tech or a new way to package the still-limited products.

Donald Trump’s return ignites a crypto bull run, with meme coin XYZ set for a 99,900% surge, surpassing past performers.

Trump’s inauguration sparks crypto surge: XYZ meme coin set for 99,900% growth

Donald Trump’s return to the political spotlight has sent shockwaves through the crypto market, paving the way for an unprecedented bull run. While established coins scrape by with modest gains, meme coins are stealing the limelight with jaw-dropping potential.

Recent performers like PNUT with its 4,500% climb and FRED’s 6,000% explosion have faded into memory, unable to sustain their momentum. But the crypto world thrives on evolution, and a new contender has entered the arena, ready to redefine profit potential. Meet XYZ, the meme coin phenomenon set to obliterate records with a meteoric 99,900% surge.

XYZ: The new king of meme coins

XYZ isn’t just another meme coin — it’s a game-changer for sports and crypto enthusiasts. Built for true competitors, XYZ is the ultimate token for those who live for the thrill of winning.

As Trump reshapes the market dynamics, XYZ steps into the ring as the coin for fearless investors. With its sports-driven identity and relentless growth, XYZ is here to dominate, leaving weaker tokens in the dust.

Presale gains signal monumental potential

The XYZ presale is already a roaring success:

• Launch Price: $0.0001
• Current Price: $0.002 (+2,000% increase)
• Next Stage: $0.0025 (+25%)
• Final Goal: $0.1

With a planned 99,900% growth trajectory, XYZ is destined to become the crown jewel of meme coins.

Why XYZ is different

Fueled by the competitive spirit of sports and a commitment to game-changing gains, XYZ offers investors a chance to ride the next crypto tidal wave. The token embodies strength, ambition, and the pursuit of excellence, making it the ideal asset for bold traders who thrive on action.

Don’t miss out

The XYZ presale is moving fast, with early adopters already seeing exponential returns. Secure your position now and be part of the next crypto success story.

XRP

Over the past six months, XRP has surged by 425.54%. In the last month alone, it grew by 43.19%, and this past week, it climbed another 18.19%. These impressive gains have placed XRP in a current price range between $2.39 and $3.46.

The consistent upward trend suggests that XRP’s price may continue to rise. The simple moving averages over 10 and 100 days are closely aligned at around $3.17 and $3.16, indicating a stable growth pattern. The Relative Strength Index is at 47.93, which is near neutral, suggesting there’s room for further upward movement before reaching overbought levels.

Looking ahead, the nearest resistance level is at $3.97. Breaking through this could see XRP aiming for the second resistance level at $5.03, potentially yielding an increase of about 45%. On the downside, the nearest support level is at $1.83. If the price dips to this point, it would represent a decrease of roughly 23%. Traders will be watching these levels closely as XRP continues its dynamic performance.

Solana

Solana (SOL) has seen impressive gains recently. In the past week, its price jumped by 35.68%. Over the last month, it increased by 41.10%, and in the past six months, it grew by 48.00%. This consistent upward trend shows strong interest from investors.

Currently, SOL is trading between $182.53 and $308.44. The nearest resistance level is at $364.82. If the price moves above this point, it could aim for the next resistance at $490. The nearest support level is at $113. If the price drops below this, it might see further declines.

Technical indicators suggest potential for growth. The 10-day simple moving average is $254.24, slightly higher than the 100-day average of $252.18. This indicates short-term bullish momentum. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 56.03, suggesting the price is in a stable zone. The MACD level is positive at 2.935, supporting a possible upward movement. Based on this data, Solana’s price may continue to rise, possibly breaking through current resistance levels.

Cardano

Cardano’s ADA token has been on a notable journey lately. In the past week, its price dipped by a modest 1.50%, settling within a range of $0.86 to $1.15. Zooming out, the picture brightens: over the past month, ADA’s price has climbed by 11.45%, and over the last six months, it has surged an impressive 148.86%. This growth reflects a strong upward trend in the medium term.

Technical indicators paint an interesting scenario. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits at 40.23, inching toward the oversold threshold, which could suggest an upcoming bullish reversal. The Simple Moving Averages over 10 and 100 days are close, at $1.00 and $1.04 respectively, indicating that the current price is hovering around these averages. Additionally, the Stochastic oscillator is low at 11.70, and the MACD level is slightly negative at -0.00345, both hinting at potential upward momentum if buying interest increases.

Looking ahead, the nearest resistance level for ADA is at $1.30. Breaking through this point could open the path toward the second resistance at $1.59, representing possible gains of around 13% to 38% from current prices. On the flip side, the first support level is at $0.72, with a deeper support at $0.43. Investors are watching these levels closely, as holding above support may sustain confidence, while surpassing resistance could signal further growth. The coming weeks will reveal whether ADA can capitalize on this setup amid the dynamic crypto market.

Chainlink

Chainlink (LINK) has been on a noteworthy upward trajectory recently. In the past week, its price surged by 25.67%, while over the last month, it climbed 15.99%. Even more impressively, LINK’s price has nearly doubled in the past six months with a 97.88% increase. This consistent growth suggests a strong market interest and potential for continued expansion.

Currently trading between $19.23 and $28.02, LINK is approaching its nearest resistance level at $31.74. If it breaks through this point, the next target could be the second resistance level at $40.52, marking a significant gain from current prices. On the downside, the nearest support level is at $14.16, providing a cushion against potential price drops.

Technical indicators provide additional insight. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 45.24, indicating that LINK is neither overbought nor oversold. The 10-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) is $26.28, slightly above the 100-day SMA of $24.90, suggesting a modest short-term upward trend. The MACD level is positive at 0.1368, hinting at bullish momentum. However, the Stochastic value is low at 6.5768, which could imply that the coin is oversold and may be poised for a rebound. Considering these factors, LINK’s price may continue to rise, but traders should watch the resistance and support levels closely.

Conclusion

Altcoins like XRP, SOL, ADA, and LINK show promise, but XYZVerse stands out as a pioneering sports meme coin with massive growth potential and a unique, community-driven ecosystem.

To learn more about XYZVerse, visit their website, Telegram, or X.

• OpenAI has officially launched it’s first AI Agent: Operator
• It’s works within a web browser to complete tasks for you, and is out now as a limited research preview
• Operator can make a dinner reservation, fill out a form, and complete other web tasks

OpenAI is always looking for the next big thing to add to ChatGPT, and after months of rumors, including a report from earlier this week that teased a launch, the technology giant’s first AI Agent is here. Operator is designed to complete web tasks for you, all with a touch of a button.

Essentially, Operator is a Computer Using Agent (CUA) that uses GPT-4o’s visual skills to browse and search the web. This means that it can understand the context of what to search for, and thanks to its multi-modality, it understands what it sees as it searches. It’s available now as a research preview for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the United States.

Frax Finance has proposed a $5 million investment in WLFI – the native token of World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform tied to US President Donald Trump. The main objective behind this move is to position itself as a leading player in the “Made in USA” DeFi ecosystem.

The proposal, which was presented for community feedback, also includes an additional $5 million follow-on investment subject to the partnership’s success. This makes a potential total commitment of $10 million.

Fuels Frax Finance’s Bet on WLFI

Frax Finance claims that World Liberty Financial (WLFI), which is built on Aave, is well-positioned to benefit from the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance. WLFI is described as a key project aimed at introducing millions of Americans to DeFi, focusing on US-based initiatives and partnerships with companies like Chainlink and Ethena Labs. With $70 million invested in prominent DeFi assets such as Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), and Chainlink (LINK), WLFI has established a notable presence in the sector in a very short duration.

In addition to Frax Finance’s strategic alignment with WLFI to strengthen its status as a premier US-origin stablecoin, the decentralized stablecoin protocol is also co-founded by Stephen Moore, who happens to be a former economic advisor to President Trump.

By integrating FRAX’s frxUSD stablecoin as collateral within WLFI’s platform, Frax said that the focus is also on expanding its distribution, gaining access to millions of potential users, as well as influencing key governance decisions within the WLFI framework.

With WLFI’s valuation already surging from $1.5 billion to $5 billion, the investment offers potential for significant appreciation, particularly if WLFI succeeds in its mission to drive mass DeFi adoption under the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance.

Justin Sun Deepens Ties with WLFI

Trump unveiled World Liberty Financial in September last year to simplify access to financial services by removing intermediaries. Despite a rocky start, the project’s cumulative sales soared to $300 million by January 23, according to data compiled by Dune Analytics.

This week, Tron founder Justin Sun announced increasing TRON DAO’s stake with an additional $45 million investment, bringing the total to $75 million. Previously, Sun made a $30 million token purchase in November last year which made him the biggest stakeholder in the platform. WLFI later confirmed his appointment as an adviser the next day.

After a flash crash to $89,256 earlier this month, Bitcoin (BTC) made a swift recovery, reaching a new all-time high (ATH) of $108,786 on January 20. However, according to a crypto analyst, further upside could be limited until the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting later this month.

Bitcoin To Remain Range-Bound Until FOMC Meeting

The world’s largest cryptocurrency has been on a bullish trajectory since November, fueled by Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. Over the past three months, BTC has surged from approximately $67,000 to $104,536 at the time of writing, posting gains of over 50%.

Related Reading

However, crypto analyst Krillin predicts that BTC may continue to “chop” in the $100,000 to $110,000 range until the FOMC meeting. The analyst suggests that unless the Bank of Japan takes extraordinary policy measures, BTC is unlikely to break out of this range before the end of the month.

At present, the CME FedWatch tool indicates a 99.5% probability that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will not cut interest rates at the upcoming meeting. Krillin expects a market dump to follow the anticipated hawkish meeting, which may be partially offset by a dovish-sounding press conference hinting at future quantitative easing (QE).

For the uninitiated, QE is a monetary policy where central banks inject money into the economy by purchasing government bonds and other financial assets to lower interest rates and stimulate economic activity. This increased money supply can weaken fiat currencies, potentially driving investors toward assets like BTC, boosting its price as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.

Krillin’s prediction aligns with a recent market observation which states that BTC profit-taking has declined by 93% from its December peak, and that the long-term holders are back in accumulation mode, preparing for the next leg up. However, how long the current consolidation phase may last is anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, crypto analyst Ali Martinez notes a sharp decline in capital inflows into the digital assets market, from $134 billion on December 10 to $43.37 billion. This low liquidity could result in sharp price swings, increasing the risk of liquidations for leverage traders.

Will BTC Peak In Q2 2025?

As BTC awaits the FOMC meeting to determine its next price trend, some analysts remain optimistic that the cryptocurrency could hit its market cycle peak in Q2 2025 as more institutions embrace the asset under favourable regulations.

Related Reading

For example, crypto analyst Dave The Wave recently predicted that BTC will likely peak in the summer of 2025. A report by Bitfinex supports this outlook, forecasting that Bitcoin could surge to $200,000 by mid-2025, albeit with minor corrections along the way.

That said, Bitcoin must defend the $100,000 price level, as failure to do so could see the asset drop to as low as $97,500. At press time, BTC trades at $104,536, up 1.4% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash, Charts from X and TradingView.com

© 2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

The wheels are already beginning to turn on Donald Trump’s plan to make the US into the “crypto capital of the planet” following his return to the White House.

In an executive order signed Thursday, Trump established a “working group on digital asset markets,” which will be responsible for weighing the possibility of the US forming a “strategic national digital asset stockpile,” among other things.

The promise to establish a stockpile was one of numerous commitments made by Trump to the crypto industry before he was reelected. Though the idea stumped economists, it received a rapturous reception among bitcoiners. As rumors of an impending announcement spread Thursday, the price of bitcoin climbed to $105,000 per coin, just short of the record high.

The order also requires the working group—which will comprise the leaders of various government branches, financial regulatory bodies, and the attorney general—to come up with an appropriate set of regulations and laws governing the use of crypto.

Earlier in the week, on Trump’s second day in office, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) —the US regulatory body that brought a volley of lawsuits against crypto firms under the Joe Biden administration—established a “crypto task force.” Under new leadership following the departure of former chair Gary Gensler, who was widely demonized in the cryptosphere, the SEC will develop a “comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets,” the agency stated.

Later the same day, Trump granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, who was serving life in prison for crimes committed while running the infamous darknet marketplace Silk Road, one of the first websites to accept bitcoin as payment. After being arrested in 2013, Ulbricht became something of a martyr in crypto circles for his part in spreading the bitcoin gospel.

These initial gestures signal Trump’s willingness to follow through on earlier campaign promises: to pass various crypto-related legislation, reform the financial regulatory apparatus in the US, and knit crypto into the US national treasury. The effects will be extensive, crypto figures believe, reverberating far beyond US shores and creating the conditions for a new golden era for the industry.

“Our technology is very powerful and transformative. We need to land it in different societies,” says Joseph Lubin, cofounder of Ethereum and chief executive at software company Consensys. “And America is a standard-setter for the rest of the world.”

Despite having previously spurned bitcoin as a “scam,” Trump now has extensive ties to the crypto industry, many high-profile members of which came out in support of his reelection campaign.

In the lead-up to the 2024 election, crypto organizations donated hundreds of millions of dollars to crypto-focused super political action committees, which spent the funds in support of crypto-friendly congressional candidates, many of them Republican.

On the campaign trail, Trump began to bill himself as the first “crypto president.” In July, in front of a rabid crowd of bitcoiners, Trump promised to turn the US into a crypto mining powerhouse and establish a national bitcoin stockpile if reelected. In the same speech, he pledged to fire Gensler, the SEC chair, prompting the most rapturous applause of the night.