David Sacks has ended his 130-day tenure as the White House’s cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence advisor, following federal regulations that restrict the service period of special government employees. Sacks, a well-known venture capitalist and technology executive, now transitions to become co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), further solidifying his influence on U.S. tech policy. PCAST acts as a high-level advisory group that brings together leading minds from technology, health, and scientific sectors to counsel the President on strategic innovation and regulatory development.
High-Profile PCAST Members Shape Policy
The latest makeup of PCAST includes prominent figures such as Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia; Mark Zuckerberg, leader of Meta; Lisa Su, who heads AMD; Oracle founder Larry Ellison; and Michael Dell of Dell Technologies. Others on the roster include Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and Marc Andreessen from Andreessen Horowitz. Serving alongside Sacks as co-chair is Michael Kratsios, who has held key technology and policy roles in the past and during the current Trump administration. These appointments reflect an effort to concentrate both industry experience and regulatory insight at the center of public policy decision-making.
Fred Ehrsam, known for co-founding Coinbase and later launching Paradigm, stands out as PCAST’s only member with a career dedicated primarily to the cryptocurrency sector. Sacks, during his earlier White House role, was involved in formulating a 166-page regulatory report on digital assets and played a key part in developing the GENIUS Act, which addresses stablecoin supervision.
AI Regulation Rises To Forefront
The focus for the council, however, is shifting toward artificial intelligence. On March 20, the administration introduced an AI framework aimed at fostering innovation while introducing measures to protect children and intellectual property. Sacks, in a recent interview, discussed the difficulties posed by each U.S. state issuing independent AI regulations, which he described as producing a “patchwork of regulation” that creates complexity for businesses navigating compliance across jurisdictions.
“What the president has called for is one rulebook,” Sacks remarked, emphasizing the aim for a unified, federal approach to artificial intelligence oversight.
In his new assignment, Sacks’ portfolio of issues broadens substantially. A senior official stated that while his title as cryptocurrency and AI czar is now informal, his advisory scope under PCAST includes a wider range of technology priorities, from AI to quantum computing and nuclear innovation. Members are tasked with reviewing advances across these areas and forming comprehensive recommendations for U.S. regulatory agencies and lawmakers.
While the GENIUS Act focused on stablecoins remains associated with Sacks’ regulatory advocacy, he also supports the CLARITY Act as a next step toward overhauling cryptocurrency market structure. The 130-day limitation for special government employees does not apply to his current PCAST co-chair role, allowing for continuous policy involvement.
The council will meet regularly to analyze key technological challenges. Sacks has indicated that members will collaborate to study issues in depth before submitting policy recommendations, underscoring the administration’s intent to develop cohesive, federally-driven tech regulation.
