# White House Crypto Adviser Patrick Witt Steps Down

*Author: David Christopher*
*Published: Oct 15, 2026*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/news/white-house-crypto-adviser-patrick-witt-steps-down*

---

Patrick Witt is stepping down as executive director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, making him the second person to leave that role after his predecessor, Bo Hines, departed for Tether. 

## What's the Scoop?

- **The Departure:** A White House official [told The Block](https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-10-14-white-house-crypto-adviser-patrick-witt-departs-418611) that Witt's "detail has expired" and did not say who will replace him. Witt [confirmed the exit on X](https://x.com/patrickjwitt/status/2110579591073104355), calling his service "the privilege of a lifetime" and saying he looks forward to "advancing that same mission in the private sector," a likely sign he'll follow Hines into industry. 

- **Second Exit:** Hines [announced his exit](https://x.com/BoHines/status/1954281417158066392) on August 9, 2025, with Witt, then his deputy, [stepping into the role](https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/08/11/who-is-patrick-witt-president-trump-s-next-senior-adviser-on-crypto). Hines [joined Tether](https://tether.io/news/tether-appoints-former-white-house-crypto-council-executive-director-bo-hines-as-strategic-advisor-for-digital-assets-and-u-s-strategy/) on August 19 as a strategic advisor. Tether [named him CEO](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/12/tether-reveals-new-stablecoin-appoints-bo-hines-to-lead-us-business-.html) of its U.S. business behind the USA₮ stablecoin weeks later, making the White House's top crypto seat look as much like a launchpad as a policy post. 

- **Thinning Bench:** Witt's deputy, Harry Jung, [announced in July](https://x.com/HarryYJung/status/2079311806623805892) that he was leaving government service, and AI and crypto czar David Sacks [left in March](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/26/david-sacks-trump-crypto-ai-czar.html). 

- **Zooming Out:** Witt led the White House's push on the CLARITY Act, which has been stalled since it [failed a procedural vote](https://www.bankless.com/read/clarity-s-vote-failed-now-what) in the Senate, 49-50, on September 15. In [his farewell post](https://x.com/patrickjwitt/status/2110579591073104355), he credited the passage of the GENIUS Act and "our work to advance the CLARITY Act."
---

*This article is brought to you by [NEAR](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/near-1785257427?ref=read/news/white-house-crypto-adviser-patrick-witt-steps-down)*