From his days at Stanford and PayPal with the likes of Elon Musk, David Sacks is another Silicon Valley conservative in Trump's new orbit.

“A whole-of-government approach that collaborates closely with private industry is essential to winning the AI race, and a designated AI leader in the Administration can help do that,” Tony Samp, the head of AI policy at the law firm DLA Piper, tells TIME.

Sacks’ A.I. and Crypto Czar position parallels Musk’s recent appointment as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in its seemingly advisory nature. Both figures will act as special government employees, meaning they can serve a maximum of 130 days per year and must be recused from certain matters to avoid conflicts of interest.

The former COO of PayPal is set to oversee the creation of a legal framework for the US crypto industry in a bid to improve its competitiveness.

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Stanford alumnus and venture capitalist David Sacks as his “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar,” as Trump seeks to solidify his pro-crypto agenda.

Donald Trump is tapping venture capitalist and former Paypal COO David Sacks to join his administration as “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar" and to lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology, the president-elect announced Thursday in Truth Social post.

The second Trump administration is poised to be a powerful ally for the crypto industry. President-elect Donald Trump spoke highly of cryptocurrencies on the campaign trail, and his cabinet picks reflect that,

The tech investor made his money with early bets on Uber and other startups. He built his reputation as a conservative provocateur.

Not only is he a close friend of Elon Musk, who is leading a government efficiency committee for Trump, but Sacks has spent the last few years as one of the loudest voices supporting Trump from the upper echelons of Silicon Valley.