Trump Appoints Jay Clayton as AI Czar Amid Bitcoin’s Rise
Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Jay Clayton has been appointed to lead a new “Super Intelligence Force” by President Donald Trump. The announcement, made on Truth Social, positions Clayton to coordinate federal efforts in artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to keep the U.S. at the forefront of superintelligence development. Clayton, who previously led enforcement actions involving cryptocurrency matters during Trump’s first term, brings a regulatory background to the role.
The move comes as lawmakers and industry stakeholders race to shape governance around advanced AI systems. The appointment signals a focus on federal coordination and legal oversight, which could influence how AI systems are monitored, risks assessed, and responsibility assigned. Notably, Clayton’s past involvement in the prosecution against Ripple and the criminal trial against Roman Storm highlights his experience in regulatory enforcement.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market remains under scrutiny. Bitcoin is trading at $85,821, up 1.4%, while Ethereum has seen a 0.6% increase to $2,701. XRP, however, is down 0.8% to $1.50. Security concerns persist, with estimates placing September’s hacking losses above $766 million, including the $388 million Bitget hack and a $320 million hack of Liquid Network.
In other news, Ethereum’s next upgrade, Glamsterdam, is scheduled for October 6 on the Sepolia testnet. The upgrade aims to reduce reliance on external middleware and improve network efficiency. Additionally, the Ethereum layer-2 network Blast announced its shutdown due to unsustainable economics, urging users to withdraw assets to the Ethereum mainnet.