On March 25, 2026, the White House announced that President Donald Trump has appointed the first members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a federal advisory body established by executive order to shape national strategy in science and technology. The appointments signal a deeper integration of emerging technologies, economic strategy, and digital assets into federal policy priorities.
Members List: Silicon Valley and Crypto Heavyweights Converge
The initial PCAST appointees include: Marc Andreessen (co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz), Sergey Brin (Google co-founder), Safra Catz (Oracle CEO), Michael Dell (Dell founder), Jacob DeVito, Fred Ehrsam (Coinbase and Paradigm co-founder), Larry Ellison (Oracle co-founder), David Friedberg (entrepreneur/investor), Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO), John Mathis, Bob Mumgaard, Lisa Su (AMD CEO), and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta CEO). The council will be co-chaired by David Sacks (White House AI & crypto czar) and Michael Kratsios.
Crypto Influence Emerges at Federal Level
Many appointees and leaders involved with PCAST hold significant roles in digital assets, underscoring a notable crossover with the cryptocurrency ecosystem. David Sacks has previously backed Bitcoin as a non-fiat store of value and supported multiple blockchain projects. Fred Ehrsam, Marc Andreessen, Larry Ellison, David Friedberg, and Jensen Huang have all expressed support, made investments, or been actively involved in crypto infrastructure, platforms, or development.
The executive order signed on January 23, 2025, established PCAST's structural elements, including the creation of a Special Advisor for AI and Cryptocurrency as a permanent member and co-chair, embedding digital assets within the council's scope. This framework also requires the body to collaborate with stakeholders from industry, academia, and government when providing technical advice on economic and national security policy, effectively placing cryptocurrencies alongside other emerging technologies in broader innovation and competitiveness discussions.
Policy Implications and Next Steps
The White House stated that under President Trump, PCAST will focus on issues at the intersection of technological advancement, workforce dynamics, and economic positioning, ensuring all Americans thrive in the golden age of innovation. Trump is actively advancing a pro-crypto agenda, urging Congress to accelerate market structure legislation (such as the Clarity Act) and warning banks not to undermine stablecoin development. Analysts view the PCAST appointments as a sign of coordinated federal alignment among technology innovation, economic policy, and digital assets, which may yield stronger policy support for AI, semiconductors, blockchain, and related sectors.