Key Takeaways
- Patrick Witt served on Donald Trump’s post-election legal team and as a senior staffer during his first administration.
- Witt has worked in the U.S. Department of Defense.
- His top priorities are the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, as well as getting the GENIUS and CLARITY acts into action.
Patrick Witt was appointed to become the White House’s go-to advisor for everything cryptocurrency.
But, with little to no background in crypto, blockchain, and digital assets, how did the talented American football quarterback-turned-legal professional reach that position?
Early Days
The Quarterback
Born on April 3, 1989, in the U.S. state of Georgia, Patrick Witt’s early passion for American Football saw him become a notably decent quarterback throughout high school.
This led to his recruitment by college football programs.
In 2007, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska. Here, he would play as quarterback and major in finance.
In 2008, he transferred to Yale University and served as a three-year starting quarterback for the Yale Bulldogs. He smashed school records on the field and received academic accolades for his achievements.
In 2011, he was invited to the NFL Combine, and as a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, he withdrew his application to play. That said, he’d already been suspended for an informal sexual assault accusation.
In 2012, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and began training for a potential NFL career. Witt briefly signed as a free-agent quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.
Law School
In 2012, Witt attended Harvard Law School, where he would then spend the next five years studying. He graduated and earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 2017.
The same year, he’d be picked up by McKinsey & Co., where he worked as a consultant.
During his consultancy years, he advised aviation, aerospace, and defense clients “across four continents”
This would be where Witt’s career evolved yet again, and he’d soon find himself working for the U.S. government.
In Government
Trump’s First Term
From 2017 to 2021, Witt worked as deputy chief of staff and acting chief of staff in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during Trump’s first term.
Here he’d oversee the management for millions of federal employees, retirees, and their dependents.
During this time, Witt would also serve as an attorney on Donald Trump’s post-election legal team (2020) and lead the charge against the alleged Georgia voter fraud scandal.
In 2022, he ran for Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner in the Republican primary, but lost. He also campaigned for the U.S. House (Georgia’s 10th District) but didn’t make the ballot.
HE also introduced Donald Trump on stage at a rally in 2023.
U.S. Defense
From 2023 to 2025, Witt worked in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
More specifically, he took up duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and Deputy Chief Technology Officer.
Here, he’d assist in managing key research, development, and prototyping across the DoD.
He also oversaw Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) activities.
This also included the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and the DoD’s research and development enterprises.
He was then tapped as the White House’s Deputy Director for Digital Asset Policy and was also appointed as the Acting Director of the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
Into Crypto
Bo Hines abruptly left Trump’s administration in August, leaving his position as Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets wide open.
His deputy, Witt, quickly took over, despite any significant or ‘real’ experience in crypto and blockchain.
Big Plans
Witt has wasted no time picking up where Hines left off.
At present, his main objectives are getting the Senate’s crypto market structure bill over the line, providing market clarity, and swiftly implementing the GENIUS stablecoin law.
Furthermore, he’s also working to realise the U.S.’s Bitcoin Strategic Reserve ambitions.
The BTC reserve has faced some technical and legal difficulties, amongst others, which Witt is arguably well-positioned to tackle given his background.
Witt will be speaking at the Blockchain Association’s Summit Series event on Sept. 11, 2025.
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Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
