Who is Bo Hines, Trump’s pick for the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets? The ex-college footballer had 2 failed runs for the House and has little crypto experience

Feb 21 , 2025

Donald Trump endorsed Bo Hines during his failed bid for the US House of Representatives in 2022. Photo: @bohines/Instagram

Hines played football at North Carolina State and Yale, but always wanted to be a politician – he has few cryptocurrency credentials, yet has been chosen to advise on the digital landscape

Not long after Donald Trump won the election to become the 47th president of the United States, he embarked on a fast and furious streak of controversial executive orders and appointments.

Amid moves to name Elon Musk part of the new Department of Government Efficiency and civilian Jared Isaacman director of Nasa – along with the issuing of wide-ranging orders affecting immigration, climate change and federal diversity programmes, among others – one particular appointment may have slipped below the radar.

In December, Trump appointed Robert “Bo” Hines – a former college football star and twice-failed Republican candidate for Congress – executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.

US President Donald Trump issuing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in January. Photo: TNS

The council, which aims to guide the US approach to AI and cryptocurrencies, will be chaired by “crypto czar” David Sacks, a venture capitalist and co-host of the All-In podcast, reports Reuters. According to a White House press release, the president hopes to make the country the “crypto capital of the planet” and ensure the digital fintech industry is “unhindered by restrictive regulations or unnecessary government interference”.

Hines’ role is to serve as “a conduit” between the White House and the crypto ecosystem.

So who is Bo Hines, who once called himself a “MAGA warrior”?

What is Bo Hines’ background?

Bo Hines comes from a footballing family and has long aspired to be a politician. Photo: @bohinesnc/Instagram

According to ESPN, Bo Hines, 29, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. His father is American footballer Todd Hines, who once played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.

Hines graduated from the pricey Charlotte Christian School, says Bloomberg. He attended North Carolina State University to major in political science and later transferred to Yale University. After graduating, he pursued a law degree at Wake Forest University, North Carolina.