The White Home disclosed that David Sacks, Trump’s AI and crypto czar, and his enterprise agency Craft Ventures divested over $200 million in crypto property and associated holdings earlier than taking up his new function. At the least 85% was personally attributed to Sacks.
The revelation got here in a memorandum dated March 5, granting Sacks a restricted ethics waiver to take part in digital asset coverage issues.
“Altogether, you and Craft Ventures have divested over $200 million of positions associated to the digital asset business, of which not less than $85 million is instantly attributable to you,” the memo states.
Sacks certainly disclosed this info when becoming a member of The All-In Podcast final week. The White Home crypto tsar confronted quite a few allegations that he exploited his place for private acquire in crypto.
“We cleared that earlier than day one, paid taxes on it, and principally stated there wouldn’t be a battle,” he stated, dismissing allegations of utilizing his authorities place to profit personally from crypto market actions.
The divestments, accomplished earlier than the beginning of the President’s second time period on January 20, 2025, included liquid crypto property akin to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, in addition to positions within the Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund. Sacks additionally offered his instantly held inventory in public corporations Coinbase and Robinhood, together with shares in personal digital asset corporations.
Sacks liquidated his restricted associate pursuits in crypto-focused funding funds, together with Multicoin Capital and Blockchain Capital. His agency, Craft Ventures, additionally offered its stakes in Multicoin Capital and Bitwise Asset Administration.
The tech investor nonetheless maintains some publicity to the digital asset business by enterprise capital funds managed by Craft Ventures, the place he serves as each a normal and restricted associate. These remaining holdings embrace stakes in BitGo and Lightning Labs representing lower than 2.5% and 1.2% of his complete funding property, respectively.
As a particular authorities worker, Sacks was not eligible for tax reduction usually obtainable by certificates of divestiture. He additionally started promoting pursuits in roughly 90 enterprise capital funds, together with Sequoia, which can maintain minor digital asset positions.
The White Home granted Sacks a restricted ethics waiver to take part in digital asset coverage issues, regardless of his retaining minor holdings in personal crypto corporations by Craft Ventures.
Sacks has agreed to not purchase new digital asset holdings throughout his tenure, which is proscribed to 130 days or fewer yearly as a particular authorities worker.
