Patrick Witt exits White House Crypto Council – Is the CLARITY Act at risk?

Patrick Witt’s tenure as executive director at the White House Crypto Council has ended with no replacement, as of press time. The White House confirmed Witt’s departure in a statement shared with Eleanor Terrett, a former  FOX Business reporter. 

The White House appreciates his service to the Trump administration and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

Separately, Witt also confirmed the exit but maintained that the future of crypto was still in good hands, citing pro-industry regulators and Republicans. 

With regulators and elected officials like you, I rest easy knowing the future of digital asset innovation in America is bright.

He didn’t share more details on what his exit means for the stalled CLARITY Act, which some expected could be revived before the end of the year. However, he noted, 

Regarding next steps, I’ll have more to share soon. For now, I’ll say this: I am extremely bullish on America as we embark upon a new golden age of technological advancement across multiple frontiers.

The crypto council was launched in mid-2025 with Bo Hines as its policy lead. At its peak, the crypto council had David Sacks (former chair), Bo Hines, Witt (executive director), and Harry Jung (former deputy director). 

Hines left in Q3 2025, and Witt took over. In 2026, Sacks exited in March, and Jung also left in July, leaving Witt as the only staffer on the council. However, Witt’s departure has sparked concern in crypto policy circles.

Remarking on the same, Terrett noted,

Is the White House still prioritizing the industry after the Clarity Act failed to advance in the Senate?

What’s next for the CLARITY Act?

The CLARITY Act is a crucial bill that was long anticipated to offer codified rules for the crypto industry in the U.S. But the bill stalled amid opposition from the banking industry and Senate Democrats. 

There has been a blame game over who was responsible for the bill’s failure. Even Witt believes that his inexperience partly contributed to the unfortunate outcome. 

However, the industry was hopeful that it could be revived after the November midterm elections. In fact, Bitwise projected that there was still a chance the bill could be passed by December. 

With no one left to coordinate these efforts from the White House Crypto Council, that positive outlook looks overstretched.

In fact, the market was pricing in less than a 30% chance the bill could be passed by 2028.

Final Summary

• Witt’s tenure is over, leaving no one at the White House’s crypto council to drive the industry’s policy agenda 
• There was only a 26% chance the CLARITY Act could be passed before 2028