Silicon Valley leaders are bullish on David Sacks becoming Trump's AI and crypto czar
REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach
- Donald Trump named David Sacks, a former PayPal exec, as his crypto and AI czar.
- Tech leaders, including from Ripple and Gemini, have reacted positively to Sacks' appointment.
- Crypto leaders see Sacks' appointment as a chance to boost US competitiveness.
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed David Sacks as his crypto and artificial intelligence czar — and Silicon Valley leaders and venture capitalists at the forefront of those domains appear to be elated.
Sacks, formerly the chief operating officer at PayPal and a close ally of Elon Musk, will be expected to create a legal framework for the crypto industry in the US. A Silicon Valley veteran, Sacks has backed heavyweight startups such as xAI and SpaceX through his VC firm Craft Ventures.
"David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas. He will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday night.
"Thank you Mr. President. I am honored and grateful for the trust you have placed in me. I look forward to advancing American competitiveness in these critical technologies. Under your leadership, the future is bright!" Sacks posted on X.
Sacks' appointment triggered a wave of approval from high-profile VCs such as Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia, and Sacks' "All-In" podcast co-host Chamath Palihapitiya.
Maguire said on X that it's "time to build," while Palihapitiya said Sacks "will make sure the US stays at the forefront of AI and crypto."
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, also congratulated Sacks on his appointment. On a previous "All-In" podcast episode, Sacks had jibed at OpenAI's everchanging nonprofit status, saying, "They've gone from nonprofit philanthropy to piranha for-profit company."
Still, his nomination signaled the Trump administration's push to bolster more AI and crypto-friendly federal policies.
Crypto founders and VCs appear to be optimistic
The crypto industry has been buoyed by Trump's selection of administration staffers, with bitcoin surging past $100,000 for the first time as the president-elect appointed crypto enthusiast Paul Atkins to chair the SEC.
Founders and VCs in the cryptocurrency sector appear bullish that Sacks will fortify the crypto industry in the US, which some consider to have previously trailed behind that of Europe.
"Switzerland and Europe have been the torchbearers for the crypto revolution," Cyrus Fazel, founder and CEO of crypto wealth management platform SwissBorg, told Business Insider. This "feels like an attempt to take the lead from Europe's long-established dominance."
Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of cryptocurrency platform Gemini and investment firm Winklevoss Capital Management, called Sacks an "excellent choice" in a post on X, citing his "pro-innovation and pro-crypto" stance.
"With Sacks championing decentralized technology and Atkins ensuring fair, predictable regulation, the US is positioned to reclaim its leadership in the global crypto economy," Markus Maier, founder and CEO of crypto reallocation startup Nudge, told BI.
He added that Sacks' leadership could help reverse the "exodus of crypto businesses from American shores" while creating a "foundation for a clear, business-friendly framework that allows blockchain innovation to thrive" — something he billed as a "win for the industry."
Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of crypto platform Ripple, echoed the sentiment in a post on X on Thursday, writing that Sacks "understands tech inside and out, and importantly, will push forward President Trump's crypto and AI pro-innovation plans."