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Kemi Badenoch has suggested she will offer all six candidates in the Tory leadership race a job in her shadow cabinet if she is elected leader.

The Tory leadership hopeful, who is competing against Robert Jenrick to become the next head of the Tory party, said she “did not know” if they would like the roles she would give them and that she has not yet made them any offers.

The current shadow housing secretary – who served as business secretary when the Conservatives were in power – dodged questions over whether she wanted to be prime minister, saying her ultimate ambition was to “make the country more Conservative” to deliver “better growth” and a “better life” for everyone.

She told the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge: “I don’t think it’s about wanting to be prime minister.

Politics latest: Furious Speaker gives chancellor a telling off just two days before budget

“I think it’s not an award. It’s not like winning a competition. It’s actually a very serious job that requires a lot of sacrifice.”

Acknowledging the potential downsides of the job, including the toll it could take on her family life, Ms Badenoch said the role of prime minister “changes your life forever. It changes the life of your family. So I’m very, very wary of saying, ‘Well, I want to be prime minister’.”

She added: “I am very well aware of how life could change, for the worse in, in many circumstances. But I also worry even more about the direction of the country and what will happen unless we can turn things around.”

Ms Badenoch is widely seen as the favourite to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader following the party’s worst ever general election result in July.

The race between herself and Mr Jenrick, a former immigration minister, has become increasingly acrimonious after her opponent claimed the party would “die” under her leadership.

It came after Ms Badenoch launched an attack on Mr Jenrick’s “integrity”, suggesting she was a better fit for the top job as she had never been sacked because of a “whiff of impropriety”.

The comments, made to The Telegraph newspaper, appeared to be a dig at Mr Jenrick’s involvement in a planning dispute when he was housing secretary in 2020 – a position he was later sacked from by Boris Johnson.

However, Ms Badenoch was challenged about her own integrity after she admitted that she had hacked the website of Baroness Harman in 2008 and added a picture of former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Robert Jenrick with wife Michal Berkner before he delivers a speech.
Pic: PA
Image:
Robert Jenrick with wife Michal Berkner.
Pic: PA

Ms Badenoch responded by telling Ridge that she acknowledged she had committed a “summary offence” akin to a speeding ticket and that “I do like playing pranks… I have humour”.

The former minister admitted that while it was “very amusing at the time” before she was an MP herself, now that she was in parliament she has seen the “hassle” MPs receive.

Giving an insight into her character, Ms Badenoch said she was no “wallflower” and described herself as “blunt”, “forthright” and “confident”.

She also addressed some of the negative stereotyping she had received, including accusations that she was “aggressive” as well as “lazy”.

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Jenrick promises ‘clean’ campaign

But she said wanted to avoid making accusations of racism and misogyny because she wanted to “believe the best in everybody”.

Looking ahead to this week’s budget, where the state of the country’s public services will dominate the conversation, Ms Badenoch said she did not believe the UK was “earning enough for the public services that the country wants”.

“Right now, we’re paying more on debt interest than we’re spending on defence,” she said.

“We’re not earning enough in order to cover our costs, and we need to rewire the state and the system in order to deliver what people want.”

Regarding the funding of the NHS, she said “everything should be on the table for discussion”.

She also hit out at some recent policies floated by the Labour government, including a ban on smoking in pub gardens and plans for a football regulator – with the previous Tory government kickstarting plans for the latter.

Read more:
Badenoch hits back at Tory MP

Jenrick’s switch from centre to right

“I think that the state does infantilise a lot of things,” she said.

“Do we really need to ban smoking in pub gardens? Do we really need a football regulator?

“These things are micro, on their own – but the cumulative impact of everything that the state is doing, I think is too much.

“A lot of these things are not public services. We keep creating more bureaucracy, more regulation. And yet the public services are not improving.”

She continued: “I think that’s one of the things that we as a party got wrong – we, the Conservatives, follow this model.

“It’s what I call the Blairite sort of third way model. And maybe it worked in 1997 – but it does not work now.”

The party membership vote will close at 5pm on Thursday 31 October and the winner will be announced on Saturday 2 November.

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Pakistan announces Bitcoin strategic reserve

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Pakistan announces Bitcoin strategic reserve

Pakistan announces Bitcoin strategic reserve

Bilal Bin Saqib, head of Pakistan’s crypto council, announced on May 28 that the country is moving to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saqib said the government of Pakistan followed the United States’ lead in establishing a Bitcoin strategic reserve and is embracing pro-crypto regulatory policies. The government official told the audience:

“Today is a very historic day. Today, I announce the Pakistani government is setting up its own government-led Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, and we want to thank the United States of America again because we were inspired by them.”

The announcement represents a significant departure from the government of Pakistan’s previous stance on cryptocurrencies, holding that crypto would never be legal in the country.

Pakistan’s shift reflects the broader trend of nation-states adopting pro-crypto policies following the regulatory shift in Washington, DC under the President Donald Trump administration.

Government, Bitcoin Reserve, Bitcoin2025
Bilal Bin Saqib at the Bitcoin 2025 conference announcing a Bitcoin strategic reserve. Source: Cointelegraph

Related: Pakistan appoints special assistant to PM on blockchain and crypto

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JD Vance urges Bitcoin community to embrace politics

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JD Vance urges Bitcoin community to embrace politics

JD Vance urges Bitcoin community to embrace politics

United States Vice President JD Vance took the stage to deliver a keynote address at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, encouraging Bitcoiners to deepen their involvement in politics.

Vance highlighted the strategic and geopolitical importance of Bitcoin, emphasizing that the US should maintain leadership in the crypto industry to remain competitive in the age of digital finance. Vance told the audience:

“What happens in the world of politics, what happens in the world of bureaucracy, will affect even the most transformational and valuable technologies if we do not make the right decisions. The first thing that I would ask you, is to take the momentum of your political involvement in 2024 and carry it forward to 2026 and beyond.”

“Don’t ignore politics because I guarantee you, my friends, politics is not going to ignore this community, not now, and not in the future,” the vice president continued.

US Government, United States, Bitcoin Adoption, Bitcoin2025
Vice President JD Vance gives a keynote speech at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Source: Cointelegraph

Bitcoin continues to gain institutional legitimacy and has been elevated to an asset class with macroeconomic and geopolitical importance. Market analysts and Bitcoin advocates warn that the global race to acquire BTC is underway between sovereign powers.

Related: Crypto czar Sacks says US could possibly ‘acquire more Bitcoin’

Nation-state Bitcoin adoption

Bitcoin maximalists and market analysts argue that high-stakes game theory compels nation-states to adopt BTC due to the downside or opportunity cost of not adopting the scarce digital asset as sovereign competitors do.

This alleged nation-state’s fear of missing out (FOMO) was amplified by US President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance, including the creation of a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a crypto advisory council.

The regulatory shift in the United States prompted other governments to indicate a possible policy reset on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin.

The government of India, for instance, is reconsidering its crypto policies in response to regulatory changes in the US. India’s economic affairs secretary, Ajay Seth, said that digital assets do not care about borders.

Magazine: Danger signs for Bitcoin as retail abandons it to institutions: Sky Wee

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Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is the industry’s most overlooked asset

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Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is the industry’s most overlooked asset

Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is the industry’s most overlooked asset

Opinion by: Scott Buchanan, chief operating officer of Bitcoin Depot

A new proposal to install Bitcoin ATMs in federal buildings highlights an important question: Can crypto truly go mainstream without a stronger physical presence? For years, the industry has focused on software and decentralization, but its reluctance to invest in real-world infrastructure is starting to show. Without physical access points, crypto risks becoming an exclusive, insiders-only system, rather than the open alternative it sets out to be.

Everyone loves to talk about decentralization. There’s a good reason behind this. It defines the movement, shapes the technology, and supports the vision of a better financial system. While the industry focuses on code and algorithms, it lacks something basic. A decentralized system that exists only online is not genuinely decentralized.

Physical infrastructure is the missing link

Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is the missing link. Without tools like ATMs, kiosks and access points at traditional retail locations, crypto remains out of reach for millions. Decentralization is not just about removing intermediaries. True decentralization requires expanding access. Without real-world touchpoints, even the most advanced network becomes limited to a closed circle of insiders.

Recent: Arizona governor kills two crypto bills, cracks down on Bitcoin ATMs

For crypto to become mainstream, it must be easy to reach digitally and physically. That means showing up in places people already go and seamlessly integrating into people’s lives. Many groups in the American population still rely on cash or don’t have access to traditional banks. According to the latest Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation report, around 5.6 million American households don’t have a bank or savings account. Bitcoin ATMs give these users access without needing an app, a bank account or a crash course in blockchain. Most crypto tools today assume a level of financial fluency and infrastructure that millions simply do not have. The result is a digital-only ecosystem that locks out newcomers and widens the divide between early adopters and everyone else.

User-friendly screen in the right place

Physical infrastructure helps address this issue. A Bitcoin ATM in a grocery store or gas station is not just a convenience but a bridge to financial inclusion. It is an invitation to someone who has never bought crypto, telling them they can participate. No bank, no broker, just a user-friendly screen in a familiar place.

These machines also generate new economic activity. Local businesses benefit from increased foot traffic as the kiosks create passive revenue. For many communities, they provide access to a parallel financial system that was previously out of reach. This is a tangible example of crypto’s real-world utility. It is already happening, and it is measurable.

The crypto industry’s blind spot

The industry often treats physical infrastructure like an afterthought. The obsession with building new digital solutions has created a blind spot. Innovation without usability builds systems that serve the few but exclude the many. If someone can buy Bitcoin (BTC) at the same place they buy their morning coffee, that is when crypto stops feeling like an obscure digital asset and starts becoming part of everyday life.

As governments increase regulation, trusted and transparent interfaces will become more important. When operated within regulatory frameworks, Bitcoin ATMs offer a way to provide access between traditional finance and digital assets. They are familiar, easy to monitor and offer a more approachable entry point for the general public.

Like any financial tool, Bitcoin ATMs have drawn scrutiny, particularly in cases where bad actors use them. Rather than dismissing the machines themselves, we should focus on investing in better oversight, stronger consumer education and smarter regulation. The overwhelming majority of people who use Bitcoin ATMs do so for legitimate reasons: to send remittances, to move money securely or to access digital assets without traditional banking barriers. Building trust does not mean avoiding or dismantling physical access, but improving it.

The first time someone uses Bitcoin should not involve reading a white paper or navigating a tutorial. It should be as familiar as using an ATM or tapping a payment terminal. This is not an argument against innovation. Software and protocols will continue to evolve and play an important role. Physical infrastructure provides something those tools cannot: trust through presence. When people can see and use crypto in their neighborhood, at a store they already visit or in a format they already understand, it changes how they think about crypto and who it is for. 

According to Coin ATM Radar, there are over 30,000 Bitcoin ATMs in the US. It’s a meaningful start, but still only a small step toward widespread access. 

Crypto’s long-term success will depend not just on innovation but also on inclusion. That means building more than networks; it means building presence. When people can interact with crypto in the physical world, it stops being abstract and becomes usable. That is how digital finance becomes everyday finance.

Opinion by: Scott Buchanan, chief operating officer of Bitcoin Depot.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

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