White House Crypto Council Director Post Remains Vacant as Bill Stalls

The White House has not named a successor to Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, as a major crypto market bill remains stalled in the Senate.

Witt’s temporary White House assignment ended Oct. 14. Council Deputy Director Harry Jung left in July, and neither leadership post has a publicly named successor.

Witt had worked to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, which would establish federal rules for digital-asset markets. The House passed the bill 294–134 on July 17, 2025, but it has not reached substantive debate in the Senate.

On Sept. 15, the Senate rejected cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill, 49–50. The motion needed 60 votes to clear that procedural hurdle. The result left the legislation awaiting further Senate action.

Disagreements over the measure included proposed ethics restrictions concerning President Donald Trump’s family crypto interests and how to treat stablecoin yield and rewards. Those issues remain part of the debate over the bill’s path through Congress.

Witt is the fourth prominent figure to leave the White House’s crypto policy effort in about 14 months. Former council Executive Director Bo Hines left in August 2025 and joined Tether. Former White House AI and crypto adviser David Sacks left that role in March 2026 and became co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Jung left his council role in July.

Federal regulators are pursuing crypto rules while the legislation remains before the Senate. The SEC has proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, which includes an exemption allowing eligible startups to raise up to $5 million over four years. For certain covered investment contracts, its Tier 1 and Tier 2 exemptions would permit fundraising of up to $20 million and $75 million, respectively, per 12 months.

The SEC measure remains a proposal. Its public comment period closes Oct. 20.