Former SEC crypto enforcer Jay Clayton eyed for new role as US AI czar

Jay Clayton, the former SEC chairman who oversaw the agency’s initial enforcement-heavy approach to crypto, is reportedly under consideration to become the U.S. AI czar in a new presidential administration.

According to a report from CoinDesk, President Donald Trump is considering appointing Clayton to oversee the administration’s artificial intelligence policy. The former Wall Street lawyer served as SEC chairman from 2017 to 2020, a period marked by the early stages of the regulator’s crackdown on the crypto industry.

Clayton’s tenure at the SEC is known for pioneering a regulation-by-enforcement strategy, which included the high-profile case against Ripple Labs. His reported potential move to a role overseeing AI policy highlights the intersecting oversight of emerging technologies in Washington.

The inaugural AI czar role was previously held by David Sacks, who also had a focus on crypto. The report suggests that Clayton’s new potential position may not include a specific crypto component, marking a shift from Sacks’s tenure.