David Sacks Exits White House AI & Crypto Czar Role After 130-Day Limit — Transitions to PCAST Co-Chair

David Sacks, who served as the first-ever White House AI and crypto czar under the Trump administration, stepped down from his position on March 26, 2026. The departure came as he reached the 130-day statutory limit for special government employees, as he confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg.

Following his departure, Sacks has assumed the role of co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), where he will advise the president on broader technology issues including AI and quantum computing. PCAST members include entrepreneur Marc Andreessen, Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

During his 130-day tenure, Sacks championed the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive bill addressing market structure and stablecoin regulation, but the legislation remains stalled in Congress. His plan to establish a permanent 'crypto council' of industry leaders also failed to materialize due to internal industry disagreements, resulting instead in periodic summits. Sacks stated he sold all his personal cryptocurrency holdings before taking office to avoid conflicts of interest.

Sacks' departure represents a potential turning point for the U.S. cryptocurrency industry. The absence of a central figure pushing for industry-friendly deregulation raises concerns about further delays in critical legislation like the CLARITY Act. However, his transition to PCAST suggests he may continue to influence long-term technology policy from a broader advisory position.

The focus now shifts to whether Congress can advance cryptocurrency regulation discussions without his direct involvement, and how the Trump administration will maintain its dialogue with the industry going forward.