Dr. Pepper Snapple merged with Keurig in January 2018, thanks to a deal with JAB Holding. Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Dr. Pepper This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Redeem now Though the number of deals declined in 2018, the median mergers-and-acquisitions deal price grew across North America and Europe, according to PitchBook's annual M&A report. Private equity's role in M&A grew in 2018, accounting for 34.2% of all...

Google cloud boss Diane Greene Google This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Google has long been fond of experimentation, so it should be no surprise the internet giant is looking into what blockchain technology could do for its cloud business. Several different teams inside the company are examining the hyped technology, which is the hard-to-edit digital ledger system that underlies bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies,...

Cryptokitties, one of the first successful games on blockchain, just raised $12 million from investors at Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures. The game, which was developed as part of a development studio, is breaking off as its own company thanks to the funding. Cryptokitties lets users buy, sell, and "breed" digital cats which people collect for fun, just like they would baseball cards or Beanie Babies. Cryptokitties captured the hearts of Ethereum enthusiasts with its adorable...

Marcos Abele left his job at Credit Suisse to launch Tend last summer. Tend This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Marco Abele believes that the next generation of wealthy people won't want to be tethered down to physical objects like cars and houses. That's the idea behind Tend, an ethereum blockchain project that will soon let investors buy a portion of a luxury item without owning the entire thing. "It's basically democratizing...

Samantha Lee/Business Insider This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Facebook's new Libra crypto project is creating renewed interest in digital currencies. Bitcoin spiked to $9,000 on the news — its highest point in a year. Here's what you need to know about blockchain, the technology underpinning bitcoin. Facebook announced its new cryptocurrency Libra on Tuesday, creating a renewed interest in digital currencies, not seen since...