The Silicon Valley entrepreneur will lead the administration’s policies on artificial intelligence and digital assets to strengthen American competitiveness.
President-elect Donald Trump has named David O. Sacks as the new “AI and Crypto Czar” for the White House. The announcement was made on December 5 via a post on Truth Social.
Sacks, known as the founder of Yammer and former COO of PayPal, will take on a pivotal role in the Trump administration, leading policies on artificial intelligence and digital assets—two areas considered critical for the future of American competitiveness.
One of Sacks’ primary responsibilities will be to develop a clear regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency sector, addressing industry demands for greater legal clarity. Additionally, he will chair the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Trump emphasized that Sacks’ role will also involve protecting online free speech and combating what he referred to as “Big Tech’s censorship and bias.”
Sacks was a major Trump supporter in 2024, organizing a fundraiser that raised $12 million for the campaign.
In an interview with Anthony Pompliano, Sacks stated:
“Bitcoin offers a different kind of currency that is not backed by government, but it’s backed by math, by encryption. You don’t have to trust the government that there will be only 21 million bitcoins; it’s in the code. Bitcoin is sort of like this sci-fi future where you could have money and state decoupled.”
The entrepreneur’s appointment is part of a broader wave of pro-crypto nominations within the incoming administration, as evidenced by the recent selection of former SEC commissioner Paul Atkins as the agency’s new chairman, replacing Gary Gensler.
