- David Sacks is stepping down as the US’s crypto and AI czar.
- As a special government employee, his position only lasted 130 days.
- He will still be assisting the administration’s technology ambitions in other ways.
One of the primary architects of America’s pro-crypto pivot under US President Donald Trump is entering a new role.
David Sacks, the prominent venture capitalist, is stepping down as the administration’s so-called crypto and AI czar.
The role never existed before, and was designated as a special government employee.
SGE’s are only expected to perform temporary duties for the legislative or executive branch for no more than 130 days during a 12-month period.
He told Bloomberg on Thursday that he had “used up” his allotted time.
Now, he’s joining the president’s council of advisors on science and technology.
“I think moving forward as co-chair of PCAST, I can now make recommendations on not just AI but an expanded range of technology topics,” he said. “So yes, this is how I’ll be involved moving forward.”
The council is composed of up to 24 members and was founded in 2001 under President George W. Bush.
The council invites industry members to prepare policy suggestions, among other activities.
Sacks will be joined by several other influential members of the crypto industry, including the co-founder of crypto exchange Coinbase, Fred Ehrsam, and heavyweight technology investor Marc Andreessen, the founder of a16z.
“Of the different PCASTs that have been created, this one has the most star power of any group like this that has been created,” Sacks said.
Sacks’ crypto legacy
As America’s first-ever crypto and AI czar, Sacks is credited with repositioning the crypto industry and ending the country’s purported war on digital assets.
He executed this agenda in several ways.
Sacks oversaw the appointment of two new commissioners at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Under SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins, enforcement actions against the industry dropped 60% year-over-year in 2025, according to Cornerstone Research.
Meanwhile, the recently appointed CFTC commissioner, Mike Selig, has championed the growth of one of the industry’s breakout applications: Prediction markets.
Sacks also prepared the scaffolding to cement landmark stablecoin legislation in 2025.
The Genius Act brought stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies, under federal supervision and provided banks and fintechs with a clear path to launching their own dollar tokens.
“Serving in President Trump’s administration and working alongside our brilliant AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks as Executive Director of the White House Crypto Council has been the honour of a lifetime,” Bo Hines said prior to leaving the administration and joining stablecoin giant Tether in August.
“Together, we have positioned America as the crypto capital of the world.”
Liam Kelly is DL News’ Berlin-based DeFi correspondent. Have a tip? Get in touch at liam@dlnews.com.
