Patrick Witt announced his departure from the White House last week, CoinDesk reported. He served as executive director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, and his exit continues a turnover of the administration's digital asset staff. Witt follows the earlier departures of Harry Jung and Bo Hines, leaving questions about the shape of the White House's crypto focus.
A White House official told CoinDesk that crypto and the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act would continue to be a focus for President Donald Trump. CoinDesk noted that much of Washington's attention is currently on next month's midterm elections, while the executive branch remains engaged in rulemaking around digital asset policy.
Looking ahead to 2027, the White House will need to navigate a fresh attempt at crypto legislation, which CoinDesk said will likely begin with tax legislation before market structure reform. That effort could face a hostile chamber of Congress if Democrats flip the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Treasury Department continue their rulemaking efforts on digital assets.
The council's role as a White House liaison is likely to matter once a new Congress is sworn in and crypto-related legislating resumes, the newsletter said. No hearings were on the tracked calendar for the coming week.