Patrick Witt, the White House’s top crypto adviser, is expected to begin a months-long leave of absence this month to report for training with the Georgia Army National Guard, according to Crypto in America. His departure comes as the Senate tries to move the Clarity Act before its August recess.
Witt is expected to leave later this month for JAG training
Crypto in America reported that Witt, 37, is expected to finish his White House work next Friday and report on July 27 to the Guard’s Judge Advocate General, or JAG, program. Completing the training would qualify him to serve as a JAG officer, a military attorney who advises on military justice as well as operational and administrative law.
Neither Witt nor the White House responded to Crypto in America’s requests for comment, according to the report.
Witt became executive director of the White House crypto council last August after Bo Hines left the role for a job at stablecoin issuer Tether. Before that appointment, Witt spent two years at the Defense Department.
Sources cited by Crypto in America said Witt applied to the JAG program last spring and pushed back an April start date so he could remain at the White House while negotiations over the Clarity Act continued. A second delay was not available, the report said.
The leave lands during a critical period for the Clarity Act
The timing matters because the Clarity Act remains in a pivotal stage in Congress. The bill is the crypto industry’s market structure proposal and would divide digital asset oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC.
The measure passed the House in July 2025 by a 294-134 vote. It then advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee in May on a 15-9 vote. Senate leaders are aiming to open floor debate before Congress breaks on August 7, a stretch that many policy observers see as the last chance to pass the bill in this Congress.
Witt has been the administration’s lead negotiator on the bill
As executive director, Witt has served as the administration’s chief negotiator on the Clarity Act. He led discussions with lawmakers and industry participants on some of the bill’s most contested sections, including a compromise over stablecoin yield, disputes tied to ethics language, and concerns raised by law enforcement groups over protections for developers.
The ethics provisions remain one of the biggest sticking points. Lawmakers are still negotiating guardrails tied to President Trump’s crypto business interests after disclosures showed he made more than $1 billion from crypto ventures last year.
Prediction market Polymarket currently prices the bill’s 2026 passage at about 48%, down from 74% a month earlier.
Harry Jung is expected to take over day-to-day duties
During Witt’s absence, White House crypto council deputy director Harry Jung is expected to assume his responsibilities. Sources told Crypto in America that Jung worked alongside Witt over the past year and participated in many of the same negotiations, which they described as a sign of continuity.
Witt intends to stay involved while in training, though it remains unclear when he will return full time.
His portfolio has extended beyond the Clarity Act
Beyond the Clarity Act, Witt has overseen the administration’s rollout of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and its work on the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin law enacted in July 2025. He has also been involved in efforts to revise the tax treatment of digital assets.
The story first appeared in Bitcoin Magazine and was written by Micah Zimmerman.
