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Jared Isaacman, Mission Commander, steps out of the manned Polaris Dawn mission’s “Dragon” capsule after it splashed down off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, after completing the first human spaceflight mission by non-government astronauts of the Polaris Program.

– | Afp | Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run NASA, Jared Isaacman, is a 41-year-old space enthusiast, who just months ago commanded the world’s first all-civilian mission to reach orbit.

He’s also a crypto billionaire.

Isaacman is the founder of Shift4, a fintech company that provides secure payment processing solutions for businesses. The company’s stock price has jumped almost 40% this year, lifting its market cap to $9.3 billion. Isaacman started the business in 1999 at age 16 and took it public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020.

In a Dec. 4 post on his Truth Social platform announcing the nomination, Trump wrote, “Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company.”

That success can be traced in part to a bold bet on crypto almost three years ago.

Inside Isaacman’s New York residence near Central Park, around a lofted conference room with glass walls that sits above the apartment’s living area, Isaacman and members of his executive team sat with Alex Wilson and Pat Duffy, two entrepreneurs who were in the final stages of selling their crypto donation marketplace to Shift4. It was early 2022.

With a whiteboard behind them, they spitballed on how blockchain-based technology could be applied across the payment company’s business.

Bitcoin had hit a record a few months earlier, jumping sixfold from the end of 2019 through the close of 2021. A range of digital tokens were delivering outsized returns. The market was frothy, spirits were high and meme coins were in their prime.

But while Elon Musk was touting dogecoin and money was pouring into nonfungible tokens (NFTs), Wilson, Duffy, and Isaacman were focused on a far less glitzy corner of the digital asset world: stablecoins.

Stablecoins are a subset of cryptocurrencies matched to the value of a real-world asset and are virtually synonymous with U.S. dollar-pegged tokens. Today, they’re collectively worth around $200 billion and are often used to move money across borders at a fraction of the cost of legacy payment systems.

Wilson, 31, said the group around the table at Isaacman’s house “all agreed it was more likely that stablecoins would become a regular medium of exchange than bitcoin or ethereum.” They wanted to build products that took advantage of blockchain but were token agnostic.

“We wanted to meet users where they were and equip our merchants to take payments in whatever ways their customers wanted to pay,” Wilson said.

In front of the whiteboard with marker in hand, Isaacman walked through ways crypto could be applied to the broader Shift4 business. Wilson said Isaacman has an uncanny ability to get in the weeds despite being the CEO of a company that now has more than 3,000 employees.

Weeks later, on March 1, Shift4 announced it had purchased The Giving Block, Wilson and Duffy’s company, and would pursue a “$45+ billion embedded cross-sell opportunity by bundling crypto donation capabilities with traditional card acceptance.” Shift4 paid $54 million and included in the deal a potential earnout of up to $246 million.

Shift4’s Pat Duffy and Alex Wilson

Duffy and Wilson are now helming Shift4’s crypto team. In October, they announced a Pay with Crypto service that’s being rolled out to all 200,000 of the platform’s merchants, making it possible to spend crypto at hotels, restaurants and stadiums.

“It’s the biggest step toward crypto payments becoming mainstream that the industry has ever had,” Wilson said.

Isaacman told CNBC in a statement he’s excited to see the original vision he discussed with Wilson and Duffy during the acquisition process “come to life at a time when crypto is becoming increasingly mainstream and gathering real momentum.”

Isaacman finds himself at the center of the action.

The crypto market, which was already red hot, has been on a more dramatic upswing since Trump’s election win in November, which came alongside congressional victories for pro-crypto candidates. Bitcoin topped $108,000 on Tuesday for the first time, up more than 55% since election night, and the overall market cap of tokens has soared past $3.7 trillion.

More institutions and retail investors have also been jumping in, thanks to the flood of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds that hit the market starting in January along with other options products that offer a new way to bet on the future price of bitcoin.

Early Bridge investor weighs in on $1.1 billion Stripe deal

Stablecoins have moved closer to the mainstream as well.

In October, Stripe agreed to pay $1.1 billion for Bridge Network, a stablecoin platform that’s trying to make it easy for businesses to transact using digital currencies. The deal was a big wake-up call for traditional credit card companies.

Visa and Mastercard currently dominate U.S. payments, accounting for 80% of all credit card volume in the U.S., according to data from the Nilson Report. Credit card networks charge a transaction fee to a payment processor like Stripe for using their so-called rails. The costs, which include a flat fee plus a percentage of each payment that can be up to 3.30% for American Express, generally get passed along to the customer.

New Stablecoin entrants

But with stablecoins, transactions can cost less than a penny and are virtually instantaneous. Emily Sands, the technical lead for Stripe’s data science team, says stablecoins are great for cross-border transactions, which are important to almost all of the company’s users.

“That’s really valuable to the Stripe ecosystem,” said Sands. “It’s not just for the cards network. It’s not just for the local payment methods. It can also be for crypto.”

Blockchain-based payments company Ripple just launched its own stablecoin, RLUSD, and crypto custodian BitGo plans to follow. Robinhood and U.K. fintech Revolut are reportedly considering similar moves.

Visa launches tokenization platform for banks

PayPal was relatively early to the market, launching a U.S. dollar-pegged coin called PYUSD in August 2023. PYUSD topped $1 billion in market cap in August but has since fallen below $500 million as competition for market share heats up.

Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC are the dominant stablecoins, with $140 billion and $42 billion worth of coins in supply, respectively, accounting for about 90% of the market combined.

Given their growing popularity, experts are eagerly waiting to see how the big credit card companies respond and whether they come out with their own coins.

In October, Visa announced the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform (VTAP) to make it easier for banks to launch their own stablecoins. Cuy Sheffield, Visa’s head of crypto, said the offering allows banks to issue and manage fiat-backed tokens.

Visa is “powering a lot of these capabilities for them,” Sheffield said.

In July of last year, Mastercard unveiled its Multi-Token Network (MTN), which facilitates payments of fully collateralized stablecoins as well as other digital assets over the platform.

Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s head of crypto and blockchain, told CNBC that MTN is looking to bring crypto capabilities, including the programmability of digital money, to banks, which hold trillions of dollars worth of dollar deposits.

Bitcoin hits fresh record high after Nasdaq lists options on BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF

But stablecoin issuers have had their share of challenges. TerraUSD, or UST, and sister token luna collapsed during the crypto meltdown of 2022, wiping out billions of dollars in value and eroding confidence in the reserves backing certain stablecoins.

More recently, the Wall Street Journal reported in October that the Department of Justice is looking into Tether for possible violations of sanctions and anti-money laundering rules. A Tether spokesperson said at the time that the story was “based on pure rank speculation” and that it has “no knowledge of any such investigations.”

With more established financial players getting involved, the market is gaining broader credibility.

Ari Redbord, global head of policy at blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs, said stablecoins are the bridge between the crypto ecosystem and the traditional financial system.

“That’s why you see the leading fintechs — Stripe, PayPal, Visa and others — really leaning into the use of stablecoins,” Redbord said.

‘Huge growth story’

The crypto industry has lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill for years on stablecoin legislation that would offer safeguards for these dollarized digital assets and the companies issuing them. Coinbase founder and CEO Brian Armstrong, one of the industry’s loudest voices in Washington, told CNBC in September that the company has seen a lot of traction with stablecoins.

“Crypto started off as really focused on trading, and it’s now made a big shift toward utility, specifically payments,” said Armstrong. He said stablecoin volume reached $10 trillion last year, and that could double or triple this year, “so it’s been a huge growth story for crypto as people start to think about how to make the dollar faster, cheaper and more global.”

At Shift4, growth has continued through acquisition. The company bought German point-of-sale company Vectron Systems, Card Industry Professionals in the U.K., Canada’s Eigen Payments, and other payment firms in recent years.

Shift4 CEO on earnings, state of the consumer and crypto

Wilson said the company views stablecoins in the context of two different target markets. One group consists of people who have gotten rich in crypto and want to use their tokenized dollars “to charter a jet or helicopter,” he said. The other includes those who live in Latin America and Africa, “where people just want to spend stablecoins for daily payments because Visa and Mastercard adoption is low,” he said.

A survey conducted by Castle Island Ventures, Visa and other partners showed that stablecoins are a critical piece of economies in emerging markets like Nigeria. In countries “facing severe liquidity crunches,” stablecoins “allow individuals and businesses to access international USD payments without hard currency having to leave the country,” the report said.

Standard Chartered wrote in a recent report that stablecoins are currently equivalent in size to 1% of financial transactions in the U.S. and a similar percentage of foreign exchange transactions. As they gain legitimacy, a move to 10% is “feasible,” the bank said.

As Shift4 tries to position itself at the forefront of what it hopes to be a continued wave of stablecoin momentum, Isaacman is off to the public sector.

In addition to his career in finance, Isaacman has led two private spaceflights through SpaceX, in 2021 and 2024, commanding crews on multiday trips around the Earth. His spaceflight ambitions have fostered an increasingly close relationship with SpaceX CEO Musk, who became one of Trump’s biggest backers and is poised to have an outsized role in the administration.

On Dec. 4, Isaacman wrote a letter addressed to his “Shift4 Family,” telling investors and employees that until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate, he will remain as CEO.

“Shift4 has been my life’s work since I was 16 years old,” wrote Isaacman, who dropped out of school and built the company from his parents’ basement. “But it is my time to serve and give back to the nation that enabled me to live the American dream.”

Isaacman said his nomination to lead NASA “reflects my passion for advancing humankind’s reach among the stars, unlocking the secrets of the universe, and improving life on Earth along the way.”

Wilson recalled a dinner with Issacman in March 2022 after The Giving Block transaction closed. They were in Las Vegas, and Isaacman brought Wilson and Duffy to an Italian restaurant called Lago at the Bellagio on the eve of the announcement. Wilson remembers discussing what it was like when Isaacman started his business as a teenager.

“No one cares more and works harder than the founder, and it really shows with Jared,” Wilson said.

WATCH: The first-ever private spacewalk with Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman

The First-Ever Private Spacewalk with Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman

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Jackery flash sale takes $2,500 off select units with extra savings + gift, Heybike Mars 2.0 hits $899 low, Autel EV charger, EGO, more

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20 mins ago

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March 18, 2025

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Jackery flash sale takes ,500 off select units with extra savings + gift, Heybike Mars 2.0 hits 9 low, Autel EV charger, EGO, more

Today’s Green Deals are headlined by Jackery’s Sustainable Power Flash Sale that is only running for a few days with up to $2,500 being taken off its power stations – there’s even some hangover St. Paddy’s Day extra savings and a free gift offer on select purchases. In a rare occurence directly from Jackery, we spotted the brand’s popular Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station dropping to $90, among other notable offers. Heybike has also switched to its Limited Spring Sale, with some short-term discounted bundle sale offers being led by the Mars 2.0 Fat Tire e-bike that is back down at its $899 low for the next few days. We also have Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite Home Level 2 EV Charger down at a limited-supply $455 Amazon low, as well as EGO’s Nexus Escape 400W Inverter Kit that helps you get more usage out of your batteries, returning to its $249 low. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX Spring Sale offers, Tenways’ $895 in e-bike savings, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Jackery’s Explorer 100 Plus 99Wh power station hits $90 in flash sale + bonus savings and free gear on other units

Jackery is having a Sustainable Power Flash Sale through March 19 with up to $2,500 in discounts on a selection of power stations and solar generators for your spring adventures, with some bonus St. Paddy’s Day savings on the brand’s Explorer 5000 series of offers. Among what we’re seeing, we spied the popular Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station down at $89.99 shipped. Usually going for $149 most of the time, since Black Friday we’ve been seeing more frequent falls to its $89 low, normally as individual Amazon deals over any inclusion in these direct sales. Today’s deal is a 39% markdown that saves you $59 off the going rate, giving you the chance to grab it here at the second-lowest price we have tracked – only $1 above the lowest rate. For once, it’s even beating out Amazon, where it’s only discounted to $109 right now.

***Note: While there are no extra sitewide savings during Jackery’s Sustainable Power Flash Sale, we are seeing Jackery offer up St. Paddy’s Day extra savings through March 19 when you purchase any of its modular Explorer 5000 series units. You’ll score 15% off either the Explorer 5000 power station or its bundle options by using the code GREEN15 at checkout, as well as getting a FREE Explorer 100 Plus that will be automatically added to your cart.

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Jackery’s palm-sized, two-pound Explorer 100 Plus power station is the brand’s compact, airline-approved backup solution that beats out most popular sizes of power banks on top of offering solar charging capabilities. It provides you with a 99Wh (31,000mAh) LiFePO4 capacity with up to 128W of output through its dual USB-C and single USB-A ports. By plugging it into a wall outlet, you’ll regain 70% of the battery in about an hour, with a full battery taking a bit longer at up to two hours. As I mentioned, there are solar charging capabilities here, with a maximum 100W solar input giving you a full charge in around two hours – plus, you could also connect it to your car’s auxiliary port to regain a full charge in three hours time.

Jackery’s Sustainable Power Sale home and outdoor deals:

Jackery’s Sustainable Power Sale accessory deals:

You can check out the full lineup of deals for Jackery’s Sustainable Power Flash Sale on the landing page here.

Heybike Mars 2.0 Fat Tire e-bike

Heybike’s Mars 2.0 folding fat tire e-bike with free gear returns to $899 low in limited spring savings

Following in the footsteps of its previous flash sales, Heybike is offering a Limited Spring Sale on a selection of e-bikes, with the next few days giving folks another chance to score the Mars 2.0 Folding Fat Tire e-bike at $899 shipped through March 21. Coming down off its $1,499 price tag, we see this model prominently featured in most of the brand’s sales, often dropping to either $1,099 or lower to $999, though occasionally we do see it go lower to $899, like today. You’ll be benefitting from a $600 markdown, returning it to the all-time lowest price we have tracked just in time to secure it for your upcoming spring adventures. You’ll even get a free large cargo basket with your purchase. Head below for more details and to check out the other models benefitting from the savings.

While it doesn’t sport any fancy bells and whistles like higher-end models on the market, Heybike’s Mars 2.0 gives you some solid performance and features for such a budget-friendly price – especially this low. It arrives ready to support you through your commute with a removable 600Wh battery for up to 45 miles on a single charge with its five PAS levels, providing you with top speeds of 28 MPH. That’s with the standard’s 750W motor, which you can upgrade to a 1,000W model for $200 more, bumping your maximum speed up to 32 MPH while also providing more power for inclines, increased load capacity, and more.

Its folding frame will certainly be a blessing to folks with limited storage space, and you won’t have to worry about being caught with a flat on the two 4-inch puncture-resistant fat tires (each with fenders). There’s also the Shimano 7-speed derailleur, integrated cargo rack, an LED headlight and taillight, and LED display – plus, if you upgrade to the 1,000W motor, you’ll also have the brakes upgraded to hydraulic disc brakes to ensure stopping power at those higher speeds.

Heybike’s Limited Spring Sale offers:

  • Ranger S Folding Fat Tire e-bike: $1,099 (Reg. $1,499)
    • 28 MPH for up to 55 miles
    • Can upgrade to 1,000W motor for $200 more
    • Comes with free front basket and large basket
  • Cityrun Urban Commuter e-bike: $1,099 (Reg. $1,599)
    • 21 MPH for up to 55 miles
    • Comes with free front basket and large basket
  • Horizon Full-Suspension e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,999)
    • 28 MPH for 55 miles
    • Comes with free front basket and large basket
  • Brawn Off-Road e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,799)
    • 28 MPH for 65 miles
    • Comes with free large basket
  • ALPHA Mid-Drive All-Terrain e-bike (new model): $1,599 (Reg. $1,699)
    • 28 MPH for up to 60 miles
Autel MaxiCharger AC Lite EV charger

Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite level 2 EV charger gets limited-supply discount to $455 Amazon low

Amazon is offering a Lightning Deal on the Autel MaxiCharger AC Lite Home Level 2 EV Charger for $455.20 shipped while supplies last. Coming down off its usual $569 MSRP, we’ve been seeing frequent Lightning savings like today over the last year, along with some longer-lasting discounts too, often dropping costs to the same rate. Taking advantage of the limited savings here nets you $114 to go back in your pocket while you score it at the lowest price we have tracked on Amazon. At the time of writing this, 6% of the available units have been claimed. Head below for more.

Autel’s 240V MaxiCharger AC Lite arrives as an affordable alternative for non-Tesla drivers, compatible with any EV that takes a J1772 connector. It provides you up to 50A charging speeds once installed, averaging at around 37 miles for every hour your EV is hooked up (and assuming you’re setting it to the maximum output), with smart controls for monitoring and setting adjustments available through your smartphone. Built to stand against year-round elements, it sports a 25-foot cable that will continue to function in as low as -40 degrees, with Autel rating it to withstand “snow, rain, hail, and sleet.”

EGO Power+ Nexus Escape 400W Inverter Kit

Get more use out of your EGO batteries with the Nexus Escape 400W 3-Port Inverter Kit at a $249 low

Amazon is offering the third-ever savings hitting the EGO Power+ Nexus Escape 400W Inverter Kit with a 4.0Ah battery and a charger for $249 shipped, after clipping the on-page $50 off coupon. Normally this model carries a $300 price tag, which we saw the previous discount bring down only by $1 back in January. At the end of February we saw this same additional $50 off discount pop up, disappearing for a short time before being brought back today. You’re looking at a $51 markdown here, which returns costs to the all-time lowest we’ve seen.

Perfect for anyone who has collected a solid arsenal of EGO tools, this Nexus Escape inverter provides you with the means to get more out of your acquired batteries – beyond simply powering the brand’s equipment. Not only can you use the included 100W charger to refill your 56V EGO brand ARC batteries by connecting it to the inverter, but you’ll also be able to power up to three devices simultaneously through the two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. It delivers up to 400W of continuous power normally, peaking at 800W for anything needing the boost. You’ll even be getting a 4.0AH battery along with this kit, in case you’re just starting your investments into one of the top electric tool brands on the market.

We’ve got quite of few deals on EGO’s lineup of tools at the moment, like the 56V 21-inch Cordless Self-Propelled model that comes with two 6.0Ah batteries for a 100-minute runtime still sitting at its new $700 low, or there are also the brand’s T6 riding tractor or Z6 zero-turn riding mowers that are down at their lowest rates – up to $1,500 off and starting from $3,499.

Best New Year EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Several Tesla vehicles burned down in Las Vegas and Kansas City, arson suspected

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46 mins ago

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March 18, 2025

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Several Tesla vehicles burned down in Las Vegas and Kansas City, arson suspected

Tesla Las Vegas fire

Several Tesla vehicles were set on fire at Tesla service center in Las Vegas. More Tesla vehicles were also set on fire in Kansas, arson is also suspected in this case, but it’s not confirmed.

Tesla is facing protests at stores across the US over masses trying to negatively affect Elon Musk who many believes is establishing himself as a oligarch in the US.

On top of the peaceful legal protests, more extremist groups are also attacking Tesla with vandalism.

Cars have been burned down, keyed, and Tesla stores had windows broken, have been graffitied, and even shot at.

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Protests are not slowing down with over 100 planned for the next 2 weeks and unfortunately, the vandalism attacks on Tesla also don’t appear to be slowing down.

Just last night, there were two instances.

The first one was at Tesla’s service center in Las Vegas were several vehicles were reportedly set on fire (pictured above).

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said that they were told that an individual set the vehicles on fire, but they are still investigating:

“LVMPD Communications received information that an individual had set several vehicles on fire in the parking lot and caused damage to the property,”

The FBI is reportedly being involved.

President Trump said last week that he wants to classify vandalism against Tesla as “domestic terrorism.” We previously reported that the FBI has already gotten involved in several instances of vandalism at Tesla stores.

In a separate instance in Kansas City last night, two Tesla Cybertrucks burned down at the local Tesla store.

A KCPD officer spotted the fire and tried to extinguish it himself but couldn’t. Firefighters had to come and the fire spread to a second Cybertruck in the meantime.

The KCPD Bomb and Arson unit is investigating the cause – therefore, arson is also suspected but not confirmed yet.

Tesla vehicles have at times caught on fire on their own – although it’s a rare occurrence.

Electrek’s Take

As we have often mentioned in the last few weeks, we sympathize with the people peacefully protesting and boycotting Tesla, but we condemn any violence, including vandalism.

The protests and boycotts are much more efficient in affecting Tesla than any form of violence, including setting cars on fire. Tesla will just collect the insurance anyway.

Everyone getting involved in this is actually eroding the credibility of the “Tesla Takedown” movement.

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Rivian CEO shows off R2 body progress ahead of production

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1 hour ago

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March 18, 2025

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Rivian CEO shows off R2 body progress ahead of production

Rivian-R2-body-EV

Rivian is plowing ahead with its new midsize R2 electric SUV. As it gears up for production, Rivian’s CEO, RJ Scaringe, gave us a sneak peek at the R2 body being built with production dies.

First look at the Rivian R2 body with production dies

Starting at $45,000, the R2 will be about half the cost of Rivian’s current R1S ($77,700) and R1T ($71,700). Despite a smaller size, the company promises it will still have that “Rivian essence” that has helped get the EV maker to where it is today.

Rivian’s CFO, Claire McDonough, said the team was “working around the clock” earlier this month to prepare its Normal, IL facility for R2 production.

McDonough confirmed that the sourcing for R2 was about 95% complete, and the start of production was still scheduled for the first half of 2026.

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In the meantime, Scaringe is giving us a closer look at the R2 as it goes through development. Earlier this month, he posted a picture of the R2’s highly efficient Maximum drive unit.

Rivian-R2-drive-unit
Rivian-R2-drive-unit

The new unit uses continuous winding in the stator to reduce the total welds per stator assembly from 264 to just 24. With an integrated rotor shaft and gear, Maximum uses just two bearings, down from four on its Enduro drive unit.

As Rivian moves closer to production, we’re getting an up-close look at the R2 body being built. Rivian’s CEO shared a picture on X showing the R2 body, now built with production dies.

Although Rivian will begin building R2 models in Normal, it will significantly ramp up production at its new plant in Georgia. McDonough said the GA facility is still on track to come online in 2028.

Rivian-R2-body-EV
Rivian R2 midsize electric SUV (Source: Rivian)

Once fully up and running, it’s expected to have up to 400,000 annual vehicle production capacity. To put that into perspective, Rivian built just shy of 50,000 EVs last year.

After scaling production, Rivian will launch the R2 in Europe as it takes the brand overseas. The company promises that R2 is just the start. Next up, Rivian will launch the smaller R3 crossover and R3X, a tri-motor electric hot hatch.

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