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A smartphone with displayed Coinbase logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023.

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

The Securities and Exchange Commission scored a major win in its lawsuit against Coinbase on Wednesday, as a judge ruled that its claim that the cryptocurrency exchange engaged in unregistered sales of securities could be heard by a jury at trial.

Coinbase’s shares fell around 2.5% on news of the ruling in Manhattan federal court rejecting its bid to dismiss the SEC’s complaint.

The regulator first filed suit against Coinbase in June, alleging the company was acting as an unregistered broker and exchange. The agency also demanded the company be “permanently restrained and enjoined” from continuing to do so.

“The ‘crypto’ nomenclature may be of recent vintage, but the challenged transactions fall comfortably within the framework that courts have used to identify securities for nearly eighty years,” U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla wrote in her ruling.

“The Court finds that the SEC adequately alleges that Coinbase, through its Staking Program, engaged in the unregistered offer and sale of securities,” Failla wrote.

The judge elsewhere in that ruling agreed to dismiss the SEC’s claim in the lawsuit that Coinbase acted as an unregistered broker by making its Wallet application available to customers.

The company responded to CNBC’s request for comment with a link to a series of posts on social media platform X by Coinbase’s chief legal officer, Paul Grewal.

“We were prepared for this, and we look forward to uncovering more about the SEC’s internal views and discussions on crypto regulation,” Grewal wrote.

The news comes as Coinbase takes on a bigger role in Wall Street’s adoption of cryptocurrency. In January, the SEC approved a raft of U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds. Many of these ETFs have partnered with Coinbase as their custody partner.

These U.S. spot funds have seen record flows since launching in January. Collectively, they have brought in around $52 billion.

In June, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said on CNBC that trading platforms like Coinbase “call themselves exchanges” but were “commingling a number of functions.”

“We don’t see the New York Stock Exchange operating a hedge fund,” Gensler said at the time. 

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says first priority is stablecoin legislation

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says first priority is stablecoin legislation

AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks speaks with President Donald J Trump as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images

As David Sacks, the newly appointed White House AI and crypto czar, collaborates with lawmakers on potential regulations for digital assets, one of the first things they’ll be focused on is stablecoins.

“They are very committed to moving legislation through the House and the Senate this year in order to provide that clear regulatory framework that the digital assets ecosystem needs to sustain innovation in the United States,” Sacks said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell Over Time” on Tuesday. “Moving legislation through Congress takes time, but I think this is something we could do in the next six months.”

Earlier in the day, Sacks joined leaders of the House and Senate committees for banking and finance for a press conference to talk about their early objectives for crypto policy, with the help of the SEC. It was part of a busy day in Washington for regulators and key players on Capitol Hill and in Trump’s White House to announce next steps in their digital currency plans.

“I look forward to working with each of you in creating a golden age in digital assets,” Sacks said at the press event.

He was flanked by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Banking committee, Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who heads the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The leaders said their first priority is supporting a stablecoin bill introduced by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who has proposed new rules for stablecoins to create a “clear regulatory framework” for their use. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to a real-world asset, such as the U.S. dollar.

Stablecoins have been gaining popularity but mostly overseas. Lawmakers are now promoting U.S.-based stablecoin issuance, reinforcing the dollar’s dominance through digital finance. Supporters like Sacks say such a move could drive trillions of dollars in new demand for the dollar and help lower long-term interest rates.

David Sacks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s AI and Crypto Czar, listens to President Trump signs a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. 

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Sacks on Tuesday told CNBC that a top agenda item for his new task force is evaluating “the feasibility of a bitcoin reserve,” an idea President Donald Trump suggested during his campaign. Sacks noted that the president asked his digital assets working group to study “whether it’s feasible to create either a bitcoin reserve or some sort of digital asset stockpile.” He clarified that they “haven’t committed yet to doing it, but it’s one of the first things” they’ll be considering.

Also on Tuesday, the SEC made a major shift in its approach to digital asset regulation. Under new leadership, the agency announced it would open its doors to meetings with anyone interested in discussing crypto, an effort to show a clear contrast to former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who emerged as an antagonist to the industry.

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, now leading the agency’s newly established Crypto Task Force, published a statement titled The Journey Begins. She said the idea is to create more transparent and predictable regulations, removing legal ambiguity and unnecessary roadblocks.

“The Task Force is working to help create a regulatory framework that both achieves the Commission’s important regulatory objectives — including protecting investors — and preserves industry’s ability to offer products and services,” Peirce wrote.

Priorities include clarifying which crypto assets fall under securities laws, crafting a path for token issuers to gain regulatory approval and ensuring compliance measures don’t stifle innovation. The group will also examine crypto lending, staking, exchange-traded products, and cross-border regulations. Peirce stressed that while the SEC aims to foster industry growth, it will not tolerate fraud.

The SEC said it’s actively soliciting input from the public. Firms and individuals can submit written feedback or request meetings with the task force.

Tuesday’s press conference was the first major policy event led by Sacks, who was named to the post in December. While he lacks direct control over regulatory agencies or congressional funding, Sacks’ close ties to the White House and Elon Musk have positioned him as a key figure in the administration.

In June, Sacks, previously a Trump critic, hosted a fundraiser at his Pacific Heights mansion that raised $12 million for the Republican leader’s presidential campaign.

Sacks was in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration last month and attended the Crypto Ball, surrounded by industry leaders and policymakers. He declared at the event that, “The war on crypto is over.” During Trump’s first week in office, Sacks stood alongside the president in the Oval Office as he signed an executive order on digital assets.

WATCH: Bringing people from tech industry to Washington is a positive

Bringing people from tech industry to Washington is a positive thing: Trump's AI Czar David Sacks

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Reddit TSLA group moves to fire Elon, Tesla insurance discounts, and big solar

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Reddit TSLA group moves to fire Elon, Tesla insurance discounts, and big solar

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, we look at a group of $TSLA shareholders on Reddit who want Elon Musk fired as CEO of Tesla – and they’re using his own public words against him. Plus the new Model Y arrives in US showrooms and FSD users can get a break on insurance.

Plus the Volvo EX30 is ready to drive home today, the Lucid Gravity is taking off, we’ve got VW ID.4 pricing for 2025, and we’ve officially hit a major solar energy milestone five years ahead of schedule.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

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Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Subaru, and Kia EV sales climb in January

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Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Subaru, and Kia EV sales climb in January

Several automakers, including Honda, Hyundai, Ford, and Kia, reported higher EV sales in the US in January. Here’s a look at some of the top-selling EV models (outside of Tesla) last month.

EV sales in the US by model in January 2025

With nearly 133,000 electric vehicles sold in December, EVs accounted for 8.8% of new car sales in the US, a new record.

According to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book, the strong end-of-year sales helped push total EV sales to 1.3 million in 2024, up 7.3% from 2024.

With Trump reportedly planning to end electric vehicle incentives, like the $7,500 federal tax credit, demand is expected to pick up as buyers look to lock in the savings before they disappear.

Several automakers reported US sales numbers for January, giving us a better idea of how the EV market is playing out.

Ford sold 5,666 EVs last month, up 21% and a new January record. The Mustang Mach-E had its best January with 3,529 models sold, up 173% from January 2024. Last year, the Mach-E was the second best-selling electric SUV behind Tesla’s Model Y. This year, it’s already losing ground.

EV-sales-January
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

Despite higher demand for the Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning sales slipped 15% to 1,907 units. Ford’s E-Transit electric van sales also fell 80%, with only 230 models sold last month.

Kia sold 1,542 EV6 models sold last month. However, sales of its three-row EV9 were down slightly (1,232 vs 1,408 in January 2023).

EV-sales-January
2025 Kia EV6 US-spec model (Source: Kia)

Sister company Hyundai notched double-digit sales growth with its popular EV models. As the upgraded 2025 model (with more range and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers) rolled out, Hyundai IONIQ 5 sales climbed 54%, with 2,250 units sold in January. Although IONIQ 6 sales were up 15% year over year (YOY), only 871 models were sold.

EV model January 2025 sales
Honda Prologue 3,744
Ford Mustang Mach-E 3,529
Hyundai IONIQ 5 2,250
Ford F-150 Lightning 1,907
Kia EV6 1,542
Kia EV9 1,232
Subaru Solterra 1,052
Hyundai IONIQ 6 871
US electric vehicle sales by model in January 2025

The biggest surprise, again, was Honda. Honda’s electric Prologue continued to take the US by storm with another 3,744 models sold last month.

After delivering the first models last March, the Prologue was the seventh best-selling EV in the US in 2024. Honda sold over 33,000 Prologue’s in the US in 2024, beating out the Chevy Equinox EV (28,874) and Rivian R1S (26,934).

EV-sales-January
2024 Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)

GM doesn’t report monthly US sales numbers, so we’ll have to wait until April for quarterly sales to compare. Several others have yet to report January US sales. Check back for the latest numbers.

Tesla doesn’t report monthly US sales numbers, but earlier today, Electrek reported that the EV maker saw its first annual drop in sales in California last year.

Are you in the market for a new electric vehicle? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on some of the most popular EVs in your area.

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