White House Crypto Council 'Exists in Name Only,' Executive Director Patrick Witt's Secondment May Be Expiring

October 15 — Crypto reporter Eleanor Terrett said that over the past week, three emails inquiring whether Patrick Witt still serves as Executive Director of the White House Crypto Council received no response, and Witt himself declined to comment. People familiar with the matter said Witt is a U.S. Department of Defense employee temporarily seconded to the White House Crypto Council; the secondment has expired or is about to expire, and it remains unclear whether it will be renewed. Earlier this year, he postponed service in the Georgia National Guard and is expected to resume service soon.

Terrett said that after White House Crypto Council Deputy Director Harry Jung left at the end of July and David Sacks' term as Crypto and AI Czar ended, Witt was the only remaining staff member on the council. Crypto policy circles are therefore discussing whether the White House will still prioritize the crypto industry after the Crypto Market Structure Act (the CLARITY Act) failed to advance in the Senate. The related personnel changes have not yet been officially confirmed by the White House.