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- 1/8/25: Coinbase Freezes SEC Lawsuit 🛡️🇰🇷✌️
1/8/25: Coinbase Freezes SEC Lawsuit 🛡️🇰🇷✌️
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Top News
NY judge approves Coinbase’s interlocutory appeal against SEC
South Korea moves to lift institutional ban on crypto trading
CFTC chair Behnam resigns as Trump administration prepares transition

Specs’ Insights
1. NY judge approves Coinbase’s interlocutory appeal against SEC
🚨 BREAKING: Judge Katherine Failla paused the SEC's lawsuit against Coinbase, citing conflicting rulings on crypto's legal status.
She called it a novel issue requiring appeals court review.
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph)
9:44 PM • Jan 7, 2025
⌐◪-◪ → Coinbase just won big!
Judge Katherine Failla has granted Coinbase’s interlocutory appeal, effectively pausing the SEC’s lawsuit against Coinbase until an appeals court can review the case.
This is a huge win, as it’s rare for district courts to grant such motions, according to Coinbase’s VP of Legal.
Next steps? Coinbase needs approval from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. If granted, this could set the stage for the appeals court to address critical legal issues that will impact the entire crypto industry.
Shoutout to the Coinbase Legal team for leading the charge against government overreach in crypto.
Coinbase just won big!
2. South Korea moves to lift institutional ban on crypto trading
🇰🇷 BREAKING: South Korea plans to allow institutional crypto trading by gradually issuing real-name accounts to corporations, starting with non-profits.
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph)
11:32 AM • Jan 8, 2025
⌐◪-◪ → South Korea lifts crypto trading ban for institutions
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) of South Korea has announced plans to gradually lift its ban on institutional cryptocurrency trading.
This policy shift is part of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s push to promote the local crypto sector, fulfilling an election promise. It will begin with non-profits and eventually allow corporate investments in crypto assets through real-name accounts issued in phases.
Yoon and his party are also advocating for spot crypto ETFs to be launched locally, which are currently unavailable.
Zooming out, this is significant. Right now, institutions in South Korea can’t even open accounts on cryptocurrency exchanges. This move signals cautious but progressive steps toward integrating crypto into mainstream finance.
The golden era of crypto is truly upon us.
3. CFTC chair Behnam resigns as Trump administration prepares transition
Today, I announced my departure from @CFTC. After more than seven years at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, I will be stepping down from my position as Chairman on January 20th. My final day at the Commission will be Friday, February 7th. A 🧵
— Rostin Behnam (@CFTCbehnam)
3:26 PM • Jan 7, 2025
⌐◪-◪ → Bye bye Behnam!
CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam has announced his resignation, effective later this month, as the Trump team prepares to take office.
The CFTC Chair is one of the most influential roles for the crypto industry, alongside the SEC Chair, as cryptocurrencies are often classified as either commodities or securities. Crypto natives generally favor CFTC oversight, often comparing Bitcoin to gold.
During his tenure, Behnam called on Congress to address regulatory gaps, asserting that 70–80% of cryptocurrencies are commodities rather than securities.
Looking ahead, Brian Quintenz, a16z’s head of policy, is reportedly the top choice to replace Behnam. Meanwhile, Paul Atkins, a crypto supporter, is set to lead the SEC.
There’s no denying it anymore guys, the future of crypto in America has never looked brighter.

Everything Else
📈 Market Snapshot
Bitcoin → $95,782.69 ▼ 3.85% (24h)
Ethereum → $3,378.61 ▼ 4.66% (24h)
XRP → $2.33 ▼ 1.72% (24h)
BNB → $698.06 ▼ 2.45% (24h)
Solana → $199.28 ▼ 5.14% (24h)
Dogecoin dives 10%, but other meme coins down worse
Coinbase premium flips positive, boosting BTC demand
Bitcoin sell-side liquidity hits lowest since 2018, fueling rally
⛓️ Crypto & DeFi
Vitalik Buterin promotes decentralized defense against AI risks
Starknet releases SN Stack for appchain development
Hyperliquid responds to community concerns over validator issues
Canaan’s Avalon Mini 3 Bitcoin miner doubles as a home heater
Agora’s Nick van Eck doubles down on stablecoins
Merchant crypto payments spike 8% after BTC $100k milestone
Digital bitcoin miner GoMining expands to Solana
🏦 Wall Street & VC
BTC & S&P 500 correlation begins to reemerge, says Van Straten
Bitcoin ETF issuers buying BTC 20x faster than miners
MSTR trading volume rivals the top 7 US tech stocks
Truck driver earns $750k on MicroStrategy
Nation-states and central banks to buy Bitcoin in 2025, says Fidelity
Sol Strategies takes out $25M credit line to invest in SOL tokens
🏛️ Legal & Regulatory
XRP ETF could be next after BTC and ETH, says Ripple President
Coinbase secures virtual currency business license in New York
Texas court orders Bitcoin investor to surrender of $124M keys
Trump admin may ease crypto-banking ties
Elon Musk backs pro-Bitcoin Candian Prime Minister candidate
Brad Garlinghouse dines with Donald Trump and Stuart Alderoty
🌎 Rest Of The World
Bitfinex Derivatives moves to El Salvador after securing license
Finnish police seize $2.6M in watches from HEX founder
Pakistani trader kidnapped, pays $340k ransom in crypto
China to leverage blockchain for national data infrastructure goals by 2029
Ethiopia's low energy costs allow Bitcoin machine recycling
Bhutan new admin to add Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB to strategic reserve
Phuket, Thailand to pilto Bitcoin payments for tourists
🖼️ NFTs & Metaverse
Arbitrum partners with Lotte Group to advance metaverse gaming
Ethereum game Illuvium reveals AI agent plans as VIRTUALS surges
Mad Lads NFTs rise after Backpack acquires FTX Europe
Reddit Collectible Avatars lead exits, raising project concerns
