Bitcoin has rallied 2% after Russia said it would begin accepting the cyptocurrency as payment for oil and natural gas.
Meanwhile, retail sales have fallen and consumer confidence is at its lowest level in 16 months amid the recent surge in living costs.
The Office for National Statistics reported an unexpected 0.3% decline in retail sales volumes for February, although some of this weakness reflected a drop in food sales as more people went out to pubs and restaurants.
Consumer confidence, meanwhile, continues to deteriorate after GfK reported the worst reading since November 2020 as households face up to 30-year-high levels of inflation, record fuel and food prices and a recent interest rate hike.
