The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has named Dr. Ed Felten as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer.
Felten currently serves as the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs at Princeton University, where he is also the founding Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy. He is known for his expertise in the computer science and public affairs disciplines. He has published over 100 papers and two books on technology law and policy.
He is known in the crypto world for his research into Bitcoin and his objective insights into the technology's potential. A good example of his work is a 2013 paper titled, "The Economics of Bitcoin Mining, or Bitcoin in the Presence of Adversaries." In it, he proposes that "Bitcoin is not the fixed, rule-driven, incentive-compatible system that some advocates claim." Still, he argues that "Bitcoin is the first mainstream open-source currency."
The White House's announcement said that Ed "joins a growing number of techies at the White House working to further President Obama’s vision to ensure policy decisions are informed by our best understanding of state-of-the-art technology and innovation, to quickly and efficiently deliver great services for the American people, and to broaden and deepen the American people’s engagement with their government."
The White House announcement did not make specific reference to Felten's interest in Bitcoin, nor did it indicate possible implications for its outlook on policy related to digital currency.
