Donald Trump has appointed former football player Bo Hines as the executive director of the "Cryptocurrency Council" in his upcoming administration.
In a post on December 22 on his social media platform Truth Social, the incoming U.S. president stated that Bo Hines — who lost the election for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 — would become the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on Digital Assets.
Source: Donald Trump
Trump further stated that the new advisory group, called the "Cryptocurrency Council," will be led by David Sacks, who has been chosen for the role overseeing cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.
"In his new role, Bo will work alongside David to promote innovation and growth in the digital asset space while ensuring that industry leaders have the resources they need to succeed," Trump wrote.
In 2022, Hines ran for the U.S. House seat in North Carolina but lost to Democratic opponent Wiley Nickel.
Hines, along with several other Republican candidates, received funding from the federal action super PAC American Dream and other cryptocurrency-supporting PACs.
Former FTX CEO Ryan Salame — currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for crimes including illegal political contributions — reportedly contributed $13.4 million to Republican candidates, including Hines.
Trump appoints former a16z associate as senior advisor on artificial intelligence.
Trump also announced the appointment of former senior associate of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Sriram Krishnan as senior AI policy advisor to the new council.
"I am honored to serve our country and ensure that America continues to lead in AI, working closely with David Sacks," Krishnan wrote on X in response to his work.
Source: Sriram Krishnan
These appointments reflect Trump's ongoing support for the cryptocurrency industry. During his campaign, he promised to make America the "world capital of cryptocurrency," which helped him raise millions from top executives in the cryptocurrency space.
He also appointed cryptocurrency supporters, including billionaire Elon Musk, to key advisory positions.
On December 4, Trump nominated cryptocurrency-supporting entrepreneur and former Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Paul Atkins as the head of the agency, which industry directors hope will reduce regulatory enforcement actions against the cryptocurrency industry.