Trump Picks Bo Hines to Lead Presidential Crypto Council

Bo Hines, a former Republican nominee for the House of Representatives, has been named by President-elect Donald Trump to be the Executive Director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.

Per a Truth Social post from Trump, Hines will oversee a "new advisory group composed of luminaries from the crypto industry" and work alongside David Sacks, Trump's pick for the White House AI and Crypto Czar.

"In his new role, Bo will work with David to foster innovation and" growth in the digital assets space, while ensuring industry leaders have the resources they need to succeed," Trump posted. "Together, they will create an environment where this industry can flourish, and remain a cornerstone of our nation's technological advancement."

Hines was the Trump-endorsed Republican House nominee in North Carolina's 13th District in 2022, but lost the race to Democratic rival Wiley Nickel. During that race, Hines received backing from former FTX Digital Markets CEO Ryan Salame, who later went to prison for unrelated campaign finance law violations, among other charges.

The 29-year-old Hines ran again for the House this year in the state's 6th District, but lost in the primaries, placing fourth among Republican candidates. He does not appear to have a substantial public history of making comments related to Bitcoin or cryptocurrency.

Donald Trump Picks Former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins to Lead Agency

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has picked Paul Atkins, a former commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to lead the regulatory agency as its next Chairman. Seen as a crypto-friendly successor to SEC Chair Gary Gensler—who has drawn the crypto industry’s ire for an aggressive string of enforcement actions under his leadership—Atkins served as an SEC commissioner for six years following his appointment by President George W. Bush. He is currently t...

"Thank you, Mr. President! It will be the honor of a lifetime to serve in your next administration. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for our country," Hines wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday. "I am thrilled to work alongside the brilliant David Sacks to ensure that this industry will thrive and remain a cornerstone of our nation’s technological advancement."

Alongside Hines, Trump also named former Andreessen Horowitz venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Krishnan, who departed from the prominent VC firm in November, will also work closely with Sacks.