White House Crypto Council Loses Last Staffer: Who's in Charge Now?

The White House Crypto Council, which coordinates President Donald Trump’s digital asset policy, has lost its last known staffer. The White House confirmed on Wednesday that executive director Patrick Witt’s temporary posting has ended.

No official has been publicly named to run crypto policy day to day. The exit comes one month after the Senate blocked the CLARITY Act, a bill that would set federal rules for US crypto markets.

Why Did Patrick Witt Leave the White House?

The White House reportedly confirmed the news in an email to host of Crypto America podcast, Eleanor Terrett.

“The White House appreciates his service to the Trump administration and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” she wrote, citing a White House official.

Reportedly, a source told Terrett that Witt is a Department of Defense employee who was on temporary loan to the council. He put his Georgia National Guard service on hold earlier this year and is expected to go back to it.

🚨NEWS: @patrickjwitt’s detail to the White House Crypto Council has expired, ending his role as the council’s executive director, the White House confirmed in an email to me.“The White House appreciates his service to the Trump administration and wishes him the best in his… https://t.co/qE82smPhtw

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) October 14, 2026

Who Is Left to Run US Crypto Policy?

Witt was the council’s only remaining staffer. Deputy director Harry Jung left at the end of July. David Sacks left his post as Trump’s AI and crypto czar in March after reaching the 130-day limit for special government employees. No replacement was named.

Witt became executive director in August 2025, after Bo Hines, the council’s first leader, returned to the private sector.

On September 15, a key Senate vote on the CLARITY Act fell short of the 60 votes it needed. Days before the vote, Trump had held a private CLARITY Act meeting about the bill’s ethics rules.

Witt was also the administration’s main public voice on the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Trump created that federal store of seized Bitcoin (BTC) by executive order in March 2025.

In a recent interview with crypto commentator Lark Davis, Witt said officials were looking for ways to add more Bitcoin to it.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 White House Director Patrick Witt says they are exploring ways to buy more $BTC for the U..S Strategic Reserve. pic.twitter.com/UyBCDlOpPT

— Whale Insider (@WhaleInsider) October 14, 2026

Last week, wallets linked to the US government moved about $1 billion in Bitcoin, according to blockchain tracker Arkham.

DLA Piper says Congress may not take up the bill again before January 2027. Until then, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are writing crypto rules on their own.

With the White House crypto council losing its last staffer, it begs one question. Does the White House still treat the crypto industry as a priority?