Patrick Witt exits as executive director of White House Crypto Council

Patrick Witt is stepping down as executive director of the White House Crypto Council, and he plans to head for the private sector. Witt confirmed the move on October 14, 2026. The timing is awkward: the administration’s signature crypto market bill is still parked in the Senate, and no successor has been named. What happened Witt led the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, which most people simply call the White House Crypto Council. He took the job in August 2025. He stepped in after his predecessor, Bo Hines, went back to the private sector. Now Witt is taking the same exit. Much of Witt’s time in the role went toward the Clarity Act. That bill is meant to set up a federal framework for digital asset markets. Put simply, the Clarity Act is supposed to tell crypto companies which rules apply to them and who enforces those rules. The House passed the Clarity Act more than a year ago. The Senate has not followed. The bill has stalled there amid failed procedural votes. A pattern of departures Witt is not the first senior crypto official to leave the White House this year. He is the third. David Sacks departed in March 2026. Harry Jung followed in July 2026. Witt’s O...