Princeton University professor of computer science and public affairs Ed Felten has joined the White House Office of Science and Technology where he will advise President Barack Obama on policy decisions related to technology and innovation.

The appointment is notable for the digital currency industry given Felten's longstanding interest in bitcoin and the digital currency's public ledger, the blockchain.

In addition to writing on the subject, Felten also attended the New York BitLicense hearings held in January 2014 where he presented a moderate view of the technology that stood in contrast to the more aggressive criticism levied by Boston University professor Mark T Williams.

Though his appointment is the sum of his professional accomplishments, Felton may nonetheless play a role as the White House begins to craft policy on financial technologies such as bitcoin.

Felten's appointment as deputy chief technology officer follows a stint with the US Federal Trade Commission that began in 2011.

Image via Princeton