Robert "Bo" Hines is an American former government official and political candidate from North Carolina, known for his role as the Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets in Donald Trump's second administration. A former college football player, he was the Republican nominee for North Carolina's 13th congressional district in 2022.

Education

Hines began his college career at North Carolina State University, where he played football for the NC State Wolfpack. In his freshman year in 2014, he was a standout player, leading the team with 45 receptions for 616 receiving yards and earning Freshman All-American honors. His interest in cryptocurrency reportedly began that year when he played in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. In 2015, citing an interest in politics, Hines transferred to Yale University. He played in four games for the Yale Bulldogs during the 2015 season before suffering a separated shoulder that required surgery, causing him to miss the remainder of that season and the entire 2016 season. He retired from college football in 2017. Hines later attended Wake Forest University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2022. ^{[2] [1]}

Career

Hines was born on August 29, 1995, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Charlotte Christian School, where he played on the football team as a wide receiver. His father, Todd Hines, also had a professional football career, playing for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Hines began his political career as a member of the Republican Party. In January 2021, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina's 5th congressional district. After the state's congressional map was redrawn by court order in February 2022, he shifted his campaign to the newly created 13th district. He received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who called him a "fighter for Conservative values." Hines won the Republican primary in May 2022 with 32% of the vote but narrowly lost the general election to Democratic state Senator Wiley Nickel. In November 2023, Hines launched a second campaign for Congress, this time in North Carolina's 6th district. Despite support from the Club for Growth, he finished fourth in the Republican primary.

In December 2024, President-elect Trump announced that Hines would join his administration as the Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, a role he assumed on January 20, 2025. The position was also described as the "White House Digital Asset Policy Advisor" and "Digital Policy Czar." Hines worked directly under venture capitalist David Sacks, who was appointed to oversee the administration's crypto and artificial intelligence initiatives. Hines, who had no professional background in finance or crypto prior to the role, stated his objective was to "make the United States the crypto capital of the planet."

During his tenure, Hines focused on several key initiatives. He advocated for dismantling what the crypto industry termed "Operation Choke Point 2.0," an alleged coordinated effort by regulators and banks to limit financial services to digital asset firms. He also worked to advance stablecoin and market structure legislation through Congress. A major focus of his work was the proposed establishment of a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve." Hines promoted acquiring Bitcoin through "budget-neutral" strategies, such as using asset seizures or revaluing the nation's gold reserves from their statutory price of $42.22 per ounce to market value and using a portion of the unrealized gains to purchase Bitcoin. On August 9, 2025, Hines announced his resignation from his White House position, stating he planned to return to the private sector. ^{[3] [4] [5] [2]}

Political Positions and Controversies

Throughout his political campaigns, Hines aligned himself with the policies of Donald Trump. He expressed the belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and promoted conspiracy theories related to voter fraud. On the issue of abortion, Hines stated that he was personally opposed to abortion rights but viewed the matter as a state-level issue rather than a federal one.

His 2022 campaign faced several controversies. Local Republicans in the 13th district campaigned against him because he did not live in the district, residing instead in Winston-Salem. While not a legal requirement, living outside the district is a break from political convention. Additionally, Business Insider reported that Hines was largely self-funding his campaign with money from a trust fund; however, campaign finance disclosures indicated that while 28% of his funding was from personal sources, the majority came from individual donors. His campaign also drew criticism for distributing campaign hats that were made in China while he was promoting an "America-First" economic platform. ^{[7] [8]}

Interviews

Interview on CNBC Television – Bitcoin 2025 #01

On June 4, 2025, Bo Hines participated in an interview on CNBC Television during the Bitcoin 2025 conference, where he discussed the Trump Administration’s stance on cryptocurrency regulation. In his role as chair of President Trump’s Digital Assets Council, Hines described what he characterized as a three-phase strategy: the removal of outdated regulations (“demolition”), the development of new legislative frameworks (“construction”), and the integration of digital assets into the existing financial system (“implementation”).

Hines stated that the Genius Act, a legislative proposal to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins and update financial market infrastructure, had been gaining bipartisan support. He noted that the administration viewed stablecoins as an element of future tokenized markets and continuous trading systems. He also said that the administration intended to maintain the U.S. dollar’s role in the global economy while encouraging domestic development in the digital asset sector.

Addressing concerns about potential conflicts of interest related to the Trump family’s involvement in stablecoin ventures, Hines said that the President’s financial assets were managed independently. He also indicated that the administration was considering a policy for government-held Bitcoin reserves, referring to Bitcoin as a finite, commodity-like asset. ^[9]

Interview on White House Crypto Report #02

On July 30, 2025, Crypto In America aired an interview with Bo Hines, Executive Director of the U.S. Crypto Council, focusing on the White House’s recently issued report on digital assets. Hines described the document as the product of coordination among multiple federal agencies and presented it as an effort to establish a defined regulatory structure for cryptocurrencies and related technologies in the United States.

According to Hines, the report endorses the Genius Act, a legislative measure intended to update regulations for stablecoins and modernize payment systems. In his account, these reforms aim to limit the necessity for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). He stated that the administration opposes the creation of a federal CBDC, citing concerns related to privacy, and supports the preservation of self-custody rights for digital asset holders. The report, as outlined in the interview, also addresses the removal of restrictions such as those associated with “Operation Choke Point,” seeks to improve access between digital asset companies and traditional banking institutions, and promotes bipartisan legislative proposals like the Clarity Act to clarify regulatory jurisdiction, particularly over spot markets.

Hines also referred to recommendations on national security, including cooperation between public institutions and private companies to address illicit activities involving digital assets. The interview further noted that the administration is considering the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, although no detailed information has been disclosed. Hines characterized the approach described in the report as aiming to maintain a balance between regulatory enforcement and support for technological development, including the decentralized finance sector. ^[10]