White House Shifts Crypto Czar David Sacks to Advisory Role as Policy Efforts Stall
- David Sacks exits White House crypto czar role after reaching the 130-day limit
- Sacks will now co-chair PCAST and advise Trump on AI and broader technology policy
- The shift comes as U.S. crypto legislation faces delays and stablecoin reward disputes
David Sacks is leaving his post as President Donald Trump’s special adviser on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency after reaching the 130-day limit for special government employees. According to reports, the White House will keep Czar David Sacks in its technology orbit but in a new seat that broadens his brief beyond crypto policy.
In an interview with Bloomberg, he said he had “used up” his time in the temporary role and would now serve as co-chair of PCAST. That shift comes as Washington’s broader crypto policy drive slows, with market-structure talks still stuck between congressional committees and industry disagreements over stablecoin rewards. The change gives the administration continuity on technology advice while signaling that crypto will no longer sit at the center of Sacks’ public remit.
PCAST Opens a Wider Technology Mandate
Czar David Sacks said the move would let him advise on artificial intelligence and a wider group of strategic sectors. Those areas include semiconductors, quantum computing, and nuclear power, as well as the artificial intelligence framework that the Trump administration released last week.
He added that PCAST would be active in those fields and described it as a channel for broader recommendations to the president. The council, founded in 2001 under President George W. Bush, can include up to 24 members and invites industry participants to develop policy recommendations.
During Trump’s second term, he became a visible adviser on technology policy and helped shape an artificial intelligence agenda built around national rules. That agenda aims to create a national regulatory framework and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in emerging technologies.
A High-Profile Advisory Bench
PCAST’s initial membership adds weight to the transition, bringing together 13 science and technology leaders from business and research. Among the named members are Marc Andreessen, Sergey Brin, Michael Dell, Fred Ehrsam, Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Michael Kratsios, who served in both Trump administrations, will join Sacks as co-chair of the advisory body. In a post on X, Czar David Sacks called PCAST the White House’s principal body for external science, technology, and innovation advice. In the same post, he said 13 of the world’s most accomplished leaders in science and technology would join the advisory panel’s first roster.
Crypto Work Moves Into the Background
Before this change, Czar David Sacks had overseen the White House’s early crypto work, including the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act. He had also been involved in the administration’s more recent work around a separate crypto market structure bill.
Those efforts placed him at the intersection of digital asset policy and the administration’s wider technology agenda. Yet in his Bloomberg remarks, Czar David Sacks did not mention crypto as part of the agenda he expects to advance through PCAST.
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Legislation Still Faces Resistance
His reassignment comes while crypto legislation remains unfinished, despite earlier momentum around stablecoins and market structure rules. The House passed the Clarity Act with bipartisan backing last year, but the Senate process has moved unevenly since then.
In January, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version along party lines, yet progress later slowed in the Senate Banking Committee. One sticking point has been the treatment of stablecoin rewards, an issue that has exposed divisions among lawmakers and advocates.
Coin Center Executive Director Peter Van Valkenburgh warned that missing the moment could weaken the industry’s chance to shape policy over anti-tech opposition. For now, Czar David Sacks remains within the administration, but his new portfolio reflects a broader technology mandate and a slower pace of crypto lawmaking.
