US tech council adds high-profile crypto advisors

TLDR

The White House has put prominent crypto-linked figures on a top U.S. science and tech council that advises the president on innovation policy.

1. President Trumps revamped Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) now includes crypto heavyweights like Fred Ehrsam and Marc Andreessen alongside Big Tech CEOs.
2. The councils mandate explicitly covers digital assets, with a Special Advisor for AI and crypto as co-chair, putting crypto issues inside a core federal policy forum.
3. Over the next year, the key things to watch are PCASTs first reports, the stalled CLARITY Act, and how agencies like the CFTC and SEC align rules around those recommendations.

Deep Dive

1. Who Joined And What PCAST Does

Trump reconstituted PCAST and appointed 13 high-profile figures from tech and crypto, including Marc Andreessen (a16z), Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, and major tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang, to advise on national tech strategy.[](https://cryptobriefing.com/trump-ai-advisory-council-meta-nvidia/)

The council is co-chaired by David Sacks, serving as White House AI and crypto czar, and science advisor Michael Kratsios, and can grow to 24 members as more experts are added.[](https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-ai-leaders-trump-advisory-council)

Its job is to advise the president on science, technology, education, and innovation policy, focusing on how emerging technologies affect jobs, competitiveness, and national security.[](https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-ai-leaders-trump-advisory-council)

2. Why This Matters For Crypto Policy

The founding executive order explicitly includes digital assets in PCASTs scope and creates a standing Special Advisor for AI and crypto, effectively embedding crypto issues into the highest-level tech policy body.[](https://news.bitcoin.com/trump-appoints-industry-and-crypto-heavyweights-to-guide-national-technology-strategy)

Several appointees, including Sacks, Ehrsam, Andreessen, and Huang, have deep exposure to crypto markets, infrastructure, or venture funding, meaning policy discussions will include people who understand on-chain mechanics and industry pain points.[](https://news.bitcoin.com/trump-appoints-industry-and-crypto-heavyweights-to-guide-national-technology-strategy)

Commentary from Washington already frames this as crypto moving from the sidelines to the center of the U.S. policy agenda, raising odds of more coherent regulation and research support rather than purely enforcement-led approaches.?

3. What To Watch Next

PCAST typically meets quarterly and issues written recommendations, so the first reports to look for are around a 6 to 12 month horizon, potentially outlining priorities on digital asset regulation, federal research funding, and standards.

In parallel, the administration is pushing the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive digital asset market structure bill that has passed the House but is stalled in the Senate, and using executive and agency actions to advance a pro-crypto agenda.[](https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-ai-leaders-trump-advisory-council)

Agencies are already moving: the CFTC has launched an Innovation Task Force focused on crypto, AI, and prediction markets, while working with the SEC on harmonized digital asset taxonomies, suggesting that PCASTs input could accelerate a more integrated rulebook.?

Conclusion

High-profile crypto and tech leaders joining PCAST signals that digital assets are now part of core U.S. technology strategy, not a fringe topic. The council cannot write laws itself, but its recommendations, combined with ongoing CFTC and SEC initiatives and any movement on the CLARITY Act, could drive a shift from fragmented enforcement to a more stable, innovation-aware regulatory framework for crypto in the U.S.