Pro-Bitcoin Marc Andreessen helps to staff Elon Musk’s D.O.G.E cost-cutting body

The venture capital firm co-founder has landed a role in the recruitment panel of Elon Musk’s new US government department – the Department for Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E). Andreessen has been given the mandate to suggest potential candidates to join Musk’s team.

Marc Andreessen, a leading figure in Silicon Valley and co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, is actively involved in recruiting staff for the new D.O.G.E arm of the U.S. government. This unit, spearheaded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, will be established under the authority of the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Despite holding no official position in D.O.G.E., Andreessen has been pivotal in identifying and recommending candidates for the advisory body. According to a Financial Times report, he has leveraged his extensive network to introduce potential hires and facilitate interviews as D.O.G.E begins its operations.

Horowitz to strengthen ties between Silicon Valley and the White House

In mid-November, the Department for Government Efficiency posted on its X account, urging potential candidates to apply by sending their CVs.  

While the open call attracted multiple applications, Marc Andreessen is now reportedly focused on recruiting high-level candidates rather than reviewing the influx of résumés submitted by hopeful applicants, as revealed by the Financial Times.  

Andreessen, alongside his Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz, made headlines in July by endorsing Donald Trump, marking a significant departure from Silicon Valley’s traditionally Democratic leanings. While the latter shifted his support to Kamala Harris, Andreessen maintained his backing of Trump and is described as an influential figure within the president-elect’s orbit. 

“He is spending a lot of time over at Mar-a-Lago,” noted a source familiar with the matter, referring to Trump’s estate in Florida.  

Andreessen’s public statements and X posts align closely with those of Elon Musk. He has criticized certain artificial intelligence companies for being overly “woke” and accused platforms like Google’s YouTube of censoring American voices.

During Trump’s presidential rally, the Andreessen Horowitz co-founder was quite vocal in his pro-Bitcoin stance, contributing $50,000 to an AI bot known as the “Truth Terminal” on X. True to his tech-savvy reputation, the Silicon Valley titan and co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz made the donation in Bitcoin.

Andreessen’s recent controversy over “debanking” discussions

Andreessen’s involvement in D.O.G.E comes amid heightened scrutiny of his recent comments on “debanking” practices targeting the tech and cryptocurrency sectors. During a podcast interview with Joe Rogan, Andreessen alleged that over 30 tech and crypto founders were covertly “debanked” during President Joe Biden’s administration.

He linked these actions to what he termed “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” claiming it mirrored a controversial Obama-era initiative designed to cut off financial services to industries deemed high-risk. Andreessen argued that the Biden administration targeted cryptocurrency firms as politically unfavorable, forcing affected founders to rely on cash or search for accommodating banks.

His claims immediately drew the attention of the tech and crypto community, with executives such as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong corroborating his allegations. Armstrong, in a response on X, pointed to policymakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren and SEC Chair Gary Gensler as major obstacles to the cryptocurrency industry. 

Elon Musk, who shared Andreessen’s podcast clip on X, has amplified discussions around these issues. Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, accused financial regulators of using their authority to hinder the digital asset industry without establishing clear guidelines. 

“The SEC has claimed sweeping authority but refuses to provide any rules, let alone consistent or coherent ones,” Grewal stated.

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