Latest news with #SamRoberts
Forbes
17 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
As Pension Funds Buy Bitcoin, A New Path In Its History Is Traced
We've seen waves of big institutional players adopt Bitcoin - even traditionally conservative players. The talk of the town has been nation-state adoption of Bitcoin, from El Salvador's experiment with Bitcoin as legal tender to recent actions in the United States with the new Administration. Yet pension funds are inching in as well. A reflection of this has been the small but growing number of pension funds that are adopting Bitcoin - a unique phenomenon that marks a unique path in Bitcoin's evolution that has remained understudied - for the moment. The state of Wisconsin's pension fund has adopted Bitcoin through investment in spot Bitcoin ETFs. An unnamed UK pension scheme has made a 3% allocation to Bitcoin working with Cartwright. The State of Michigan Retirement System has made a multi-million dollar investment in Bitcoin ETFs. And while it's small steps at the beginning, as more institutions gather Bitcoin, this is a promising path forward for adoption. Much of the background research and points come out of a conversation with two sources who have vast experience with pension fund adoption - Sam Roberts of Cartwright, which has advised a UK-based pension fund to allocate 3% towards Bitcoin, and Dom Bei of Proof of Workforce which has helped various unions save holdings in Bitcoin. Pension funds aren't just a new player - they are a different type of player - marking a new evolution for Bitcoin as it matures into the gold standard for digital money. For players in the space, especially pension funds, lasting time horizons are essential. They can't just pull their funds out willy-nilly - they need to be invested in something for at least ten years - and sometimes longer. Pension funds see a difference between Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies - a bias that will persist in both legal systems, in the eyes of nation-states, and institutional players with very long time horizons - such as sovereign wealth funds. Pension funds see Bitcoin as the only option in a crowded field - with other cryptocurrencies going extinct fast compared to Bitcoin. When pension funds evaluate Bitcoin, they must remember that it's like any other asset out there - and that its risk/reward profile stands out to carry the day. As Sam from Cartwright points out, the trick is to get pension trustees to look beyond the polarizing debate and simply counsel to evaluate Bitcoin on its merits and the numbers. If you already believe in the staying power of Bitcoin, then once you take a look at the numbers, Bitcoin stands out as the best-performing financial asset of the last decade. Once you anchor to the math and escape the narrative, Bitcoin paradoxically looks better to institutional players like pension funds. Right now, the winning formula for convincing pension funds is starting (and ending) with Bitcoin in a small percent of their allocation - say in the low single digits towards 1-3%. This smaller allocation allows pension funds not to worry about the short-term volatility of Bitcoin and look more towards the long-term horizon. Even a small allocation can produce outsize returns - enough to justify dipping in. This line of reasoning was part of the reason how Cartwright got a UK pension scheme to allocate 3% to Bitcoin. While most pensions are interested in Bitcoin as a store of value (echoing what's happening in cities and states around the world that want to hold Bitcoin on their reserves), small steps are being taken to explore Bitcoin's use as a medium of exchange - for example, payroll services. While store of value is the more obvious case to push forward, it's clear that there's room for pension funds to experiment with Bitcoin beyond just holding it on their balance sheets - with experiments towards Bitcoin salaries among top Bitcoin companies. It's not just regular pension funds - but also pension funds for blue-collar workers that are looking in. There is a broad appeal to saving beyond just general pension funds. Dom Bei has, for example, onboarded several firefighter unions to start investing in Bitcoin. This is a critical step forward even though it's one thing to get a pension fund in and another to get a union. As he puts it: 'Bitcoin adoption among U.S. pension funds remains low, with few holding it, while unions across public and private sectors increasingly add Bitcoin to their balance sheets. Despite their structural differences, unions and pension funds share a core ethos: advocating for workers' present and future. Both should approach Bitcoin similarly—minimizing risk while learning about a tool born from a financial crisis that devastated workers. As a top 10 global asset by market cap, Bitcoin demands exploration by fund managers and union leaders as a network, financial tool, and store of value for wage-earners.' --- Pension funds are traditionally seen as arch-conservative in their investment choices. The fact that a few are dipping their toes into Bitcoin (and Bitcoin only) is worth examining - tracing a new path for Bitcoin as it continues to march ahead of its crypto competitors.
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
What are the long-term side effects of weight loss injections?
Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names💊 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Weight loss injections are becoming a popular option for those wanting to lose weight. Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now household names. NICE has approved Mounjaro for weight loss treatment for those who meet the criteria in the UK. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. The medications, which were originally a treatment for type 2 diabetes, have been helping those living with obesity lose weight. The 2022 Health Survey for England estimated that 28% of adults were obese and 36% were classified as being overweight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Medications to help lose weight have been gaining in popularity, with NHS England approving prescriptions for Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro), from March 2025 to those who meet the criteria. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. | Canva Speaking in October 2024 about Mounjaro being made available on the NHS, Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of NICE said: 'This drug will be a powerful part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and support many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. 'This phased rollout will ensure those with the greatest clinical need can access it as a priority – with a quarter of a million people able to benefit over the first three years – while we develop new and innovative services through which other weight loss treatments can also be delivered.' So, what do we know about weight loss injections, how do they work and are there any long-term side effects? Here's everything you need to know. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How do weight loss injections work? Weight loss injections work by regulating your appetite by mimicking a naturally produced hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Superdrug explain that normally when we eat food, GLP-1 is released, so the medication makes your brain feel you are full and reduces feelings of hunger. Are there any side effects? Weight loss injections may cause side effects for some people. Boots explain that they should be mild and improve or even disappear after a few weeks of starting your treatment. Side effects can include: nausea or heartburn, constipation, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, injection site reactions, gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you are taking Mounjaro or Wegovy, all the side effects that you experience should be reported using the Yellow Card Scheme. What are the long term side effects? Weight loss injections are long-term treatments, with prescriptions for Wegovy available for two years. According to the British Heart Foundation some research suggests that they can help reduce diseases including heart attacks and strokes. However, rare but serious side-effects could include gall bladder disease, inflammation of the pancreas and kidney issues. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The long-term side effects of weight loss injections are still being studied, there is still a lot that is not known about how taking GLP-1 agonists can affect different areas of the body. If you have a health story to share with us, we'd love to hear from you. You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police: South Bend teen, 17, suspect in Gary homicide
After an argument broke out in a gray Ford Fusion, a 17-year-old teen from South Bend fatally shot a Gary man inside the vehicle, Gary Police said Monday. Officers responded at 1:39 a.m. Monday to 24th Avenue and Maryland Street for a shots fired call. Several people were standing around the victim, who was motionless and lying on the ground. The Lake County Coroner's Office identified him as Nadan Stallings, 21. His death was ruled a homicide. Toxicology tests and an autopsy are pending. Witnesses said a group had headed to Gary from Michigan City to smoke marijuana with a friend. After the shooting, the suspect ran but returned to the scene telling police he was shot, too. He was taken to the hospital, Gary Police Capt. Sam Roberts said in a release. Stallings was transported to Methodist Hospitals Northlake where he was pronounced dead. Anyone with more information can call the Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force at 219-755-3855. mcolias@
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Police: South Bend teen, 17, suspect in Gary homicide
After an argument broke out in a gray Ford Fusion, a 17-year-old teen from South Bend fatally shot a Gary man inside the vehicle, Gary Police said Monday. Officers responded at 1:39 a.m. Monday to 24th Avenue and Maryland Street for a shots fired call. Several people were standing around the victim, who was motionless and lying on the ground. The Lake County Coroner's Office identified him as Nadan Stallings, 21. His death was ruled a homicide. Toxicology tests and an autopsy are pending. Witnesses said a group had headed to Gary from Michigan City to smoke marijuana with a friend. After the shooting, the suspect ran but returned to the scene telling police he was shot, too. He was taken to the hospital, Gary Police Capt. Sam Roberts said in a release. Stallings was transported to Methodist Hospitals Northlake where he was pronounced dead. Anyone with more information can call the Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force at 219-755-3855.
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
What are the long-term side effects of weight loss injections?
Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names💊 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Weight loss injections are becoming a popular option for those wanting to lose weight. Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now household names. NICE has approved Mounjaro for weight loss treatment for those who meet the criteria in the UK. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. The medications, which were originally a treatment for type 2 diabetes, have been helping those living with obesity lose weight. The 2022 Health Survey for England estimated that 28% of adults were obese and 36% were classified as being overweight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Medications to help lose weight have been gaining in popularity, with NHS England approving prescriptions for Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro), from March 2025 to those who meet the criteria. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. | Canva Speaking in October 2024 about Mounjaro being made available on the NHS, Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of NICE said: 'This drug will be a powerful part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and support many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. 'This phased rollout will ensure those with the greatest clinical need can access it as a priority – with a quarter of a million people able to benefit over the first three years – while we develop new and innovative services through which other weight loss treatments can also be delivered.' So, what do we know about weight loss injections, how do they work and are there any long-term side effects? Here's everything you need to know. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How do weight loss injections work? Weight loss injections work by regulating your appetite by mimicking a naturally produced hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Superdrug explain that normally when we eat food, GLP-1 is released, so the medication makes your brain feel you are full and reduces feelings of hunger. Are there any side effects? Weight loss injections may cause side effects for some people. Boots explain that they should be mild and improve or even disappear after a few weeks of starting your treatment. Side effects can include: nausea or heartburn, constipation, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, injection site reactions, gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you are taking Mounjaro or Wegovy, all the side effects that you experience should be reported using the Yellow Card Scheme. What are the long term side effects? Weight loss injections are long-term treatments, with prescriptions for Wegovy available for two years. According to the British Heart Foundation some research suggests that they can help reduce diseases including heart attacks and strokes. However, rare but serious side-effects could include gall bladder disease, inflammation of the pancreas and kidney issues. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The long-term side effects of weight loss injections are still being studied, there is still a lot that is not known about how taking GLP-1 agonists can affect different areas of the body.
