- D. Trump names top Silicon Valley conservative to oversee AI and crypto
- D. Trump rewards his supporters
- Reshaping US policy on digital currency
D. Trump names top Silicon Valley conservative to oversee AI and crypto
President-elect continues to name his picks for Cabinet 2025. The most important administration position picks have been announced, and now, D. Trump has named other directors and chiefs. David Sacks, a capitalist who hosts a hit podcast, has generally called for a looser hand in regulating both emerging technologies of AI and cryptocurrency[1].
This media personality, investor, and donor would help oversee American technology policy. He was an early executive at PayPal and launched a hit podcast, and now will be the "White House AI and crypto czar." D. Trump announced this on social media.
This is a new position, and the creation of this particular agency shows how serious Trump is about regulating technology and cryptocurrencies. Sacks is a close friend of another Trump pick, Elon Musk. D. Sacks has been among the people who encouraged Musk to go into politics.
President Trump seeks to overhaul US policy and claims that this czar will help him do so. It is unclear if "czar" is really an official title for this position. "He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.," Trump said in a post.
David Sacks, 52, was born in South Africa and co-founded Craft Ventures, a venture capital firm. He is also an early leader of PayPal, which eBay acquired in 2002. Sacks is part of the so-called "PayPal Mafia," a group of former PayPal executives that includes Elon Musk and Peter Thiel—both vocal Trump supporters[2].
D. Trump rewards his supporters
The appointment shows that Trump’s second-term administration recognizes and rewards Silicon Valley supporters of his campaign. It also hints that the administration plans to back policies that many in the cryptocurrency industry favor.
David Sacks, a venture capitalist, became a vocal supporter of Trump earlier this year. He even hosted a fundraiser at his San Francisco mansion, where tickets cost $50,000 each, and a $300,000 option came with perks like a photo with Trump.
This was a big shift for Sacks, who had strongly criticized Trump after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. On his All-In podcast shortly after the event, he said Trump was "clearly" responsible for what happened and had "disqualified himself from being a candidate at a national level." However, by July, Sacks spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Sacks is a well-known entrepreneur who sold Yammer to Microsoft for $1.2 billion in 2012. He’s also part of the "PayPal Mafia," a group of influential tech figures like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who worked at PayPal in the 1990s.
More recently, Sacks is best known as a host of the All-In podcast alongside investors Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, and David Friedberg. Trump described it as the "top podcast in Tech," where Sacks and his co-hosts discuss economic, political, and social topics.
Reshaping US policy on digital currency
The incoming Trump administration is expected to reshape U.S. policy on digital currencies with a new crypto czar, alongside key officials like the heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). A newly created crypto advisory council will also play a role in these efforts.
Trump's supporters in the tech industry generally favor minimal regulations for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, arguing that too many rules could stifle innovation. Elad Gil, an entrepreneur and investor in companies like Airbnb and Coinbase, praised the appointment of David Sacks on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a "strong move." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also congratulated Sacks, writing, "Congrats to czar DavidSacks!"[3]
Steve Jang, founder of Kindred Ventures and a co-investor with Sacks in cryptocurrency and AI startups, told Reuters he expects Sacks to favor light regulations but with some necessary safeguards. Jang believes Sacks will focus on how AI is applied in critical areas rather than regulating AI model development—a key issue for Silicon Valley investors who opposed California's failed SB 1047 bill to regulate AI model development.
Trump also announced the nomination of Paul Atkins, a well-known crypto advocate, to lead the SEC—a decision welcomed by the industry. During his campaign, Trump shifted his stance on digital assets, promising to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the planet" and build a national Bitcoin reserve.
Matthew Dibb, Chief Investment Officer at Astronaut Capital, described the news as highly positive. He noted that Sacks, who has held cryptocurrencies like Solana in the past, brings both technical and commercial expertise to the role. "He’s more knowledgeable about crypto than many realize," Dibb added.
Sacks has a long history in tech, having founded Yammer, an enterprise social network, and serving as CEO of software company Zenefits. He has been an early advocate for cryptocurrencies, telling CNBC in 2017 that Bitcoin was revolutionizing the internet. "It feels like we are witnessing the birth of a new kind of web—some call it the decentralized web or the internet of money," he said.
