Clayton's Crypto Legacy Haunts White House AI Czar Bid
The former SEC chairman who sued Ripple in December 2020 may soon take on a new role as White House AI czar, sparking concerns from the crypto community.
According to reports, President Trump is considering Jay Clayton for the position, which involves overseeing the development and regulation of artificial intelligence. Clayton has been serving as Director of National Intelligence since his confirmation in July.
In a recent interview, Trump referred to Clayton as 'a good man' and suggested that having him take on the AI czar role would be a good idea.
Clayton's potential appointment has raised eyebrows in the crypto community due to his involvement in the high-profile lawsuit against Ripple. The SEC alleged that Ripple had raised $1.3 billion through unregistered securities sales dating back to 2013, with a judge later finding that $728.9 million in direct institutional sales qualified as such.
The case closed in August 2025 with a $125 million penalty, which was significantly lower than the SEC's original target of roughly $2 billion.