Donald Trump’s team is considering creating a new White House role focused on cryptocurrency policy, according to reports.
Crypto industry representatives with a direct line to Mr Trump are reportedly lobbying for the role, which could take the form of acting as a liaison between Congress, the White House and other agencies.
The president-elect’s transition team is said to be vetting candidates for the role, according to Bloomberg News.
While he criticised cryptocurrency in his first administration, in the run-up to the election Mr Trump, 78, became a supporter of Bitcoin and the industry.
On the campaign trail, Mr Trump vowed to establish a “strategic national Bitcoin stockpile”, attacked the Biden administration’s crackdown on crypto, and launched his own digital coin.
He promised to fire Gary Gensler, the crypto-sceptic chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, “on day one” and reportedly paid with Bitcoin for burgers he bought for his supporters at a New York bar.
Mr Trump also addressed a Bitcoin conference in Nashville in July, telling the audience: “If we don’t embrace crypto and Bitcoin technology, China will, other countries will, they’ll dominate, and we cannot let China dominate.”