Patrick Witt Exits as Head of White House Crypto Council

Patrick Witt is no longer executive director of the President's Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, the White House crypto council. A White House official told The Block on Wednesday, Oct. 14, that Witt's detail had expired and thanked him for his service. He is the third top crypto official in the Trump administration to leave in 2026. The White House did not name a successor.

Details

Crypto In America reporter Eleanor Terrett first flagged the question around 12:40 PM ET, saying she had emailed the White House three times over the past week without a response and that Witt declined to comment. A source told Terrett that Witt is a Department of Defense employee on temporary detail to the council. He deferred his Georgia National Guard service earlier this year and is expected to resume it.

Two other key figures left before him. David Sacks stepped down as AI and crypto czar in March after his 130 days as a special government employee ran out (The Block). Witt's deputy, Harry Jung, left at the end of July, leaving Witt as the council's only remaining staffer, according to Terrett.

Witt had been working Senate negotiations on the Clarity Act, the crypto market structure bill. The House passed its version more than a year ago, but the Senate draft remains tangled in a bank-versus-crypto fight over stablecoin rewards and in ethics provisions tied to President Trump's crypto holdings. The bill failed an initial procedural vote in September.

What it means for the market

The Clarity Act would split oversight of digital assets between the SEC and CFTC and set the rules for US exchanges, tokens and stablecoins. With the last dedicated crypto staffer gone and no replacement named, the industry loses its main White House go-between with the Senate, and policy watchers are now asking whether crypto is still a priority for the administration. If the bill doesn't move before year-end, passage could slip until after the November midterms reshape Congress.

The market barely reacted: bitcoin hovered near $81,700 through the afternoon after the morning's inflation-driven drop. For the live price and daily summary, see the dashboard.