Patrick Witt's exit leaves White House crypto policy post vacant
CoinDesk reports that Patrick Witt, the last adviser running the White House digital assets office, has left, leaving no named successor as the CLARITY Act stalls in the Senate.
Why it matters: The White House office that shaped US crypto legislation and the GENIUS Act now has no named crypto lead, while the CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate.
Key points
- Witt confirmed his departure in a post on X on Wednesday night, saying he would move to the private sector.
- The White House told CoinDesk it still backs the Crypto and CLARITY Act but did not say who would take over.
- Jay Clayton's new AI role no longer carries a crypto remit, after David Sacks left the czar job in March.
Patrick Witt's exit has left the White House crypto policy post vacant, CoinDesk reports, with no new name attached to President Donald Trump's in-house digital assets initiatives.
The office was never large but was vocal. David Sacks was named incoming AI and crypto czar before Trump returned to office in 2025, and Bo Hines became the first director of the digital assets advisory council, serving about eight months and ending with the GENIUS Act becoming law. Hines then took a job running Tether's US arm, while his consulting firm Nxum was paid millions as main provider to a super PAC funded mostly by Cantor Fitzgerald.
Witt, previously Hines' deputy, took over as executive director and became the face of the push for the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, often airing frustration on X. Sacks stepped down in March, leaving Witt and deputy Harry Jung to manage the administration's stance, complicated by Trump's own crypto ties as Democrats sought ethics constraints. Witt confirmed in July he had Georgia National Guard commitments but stayed for the talks.
The bill failed to advance in a Senate floor vote a month ago before the chamber broke for the run-up to next month's elections. Witt posted on Wednesday night to confirm his exit, thanking agency chiefs and lawmakers and saying he would move into the private sector.
What to watch: Congressional action on crypto legislation could still come in the final weeks of the session after the November elections, Capitol Hill figures suggest.
Live updates on NewsFeeds:RegulationDesk editor: Keshav Aggarwal (accountable for this page; this summary was not edited by hand)
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