Bo Hines, head of the White House’s Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, will step down from his role and return to the private sector, according to journalist Eleanor Terrett.
Hines, a former college football player and crypto investor, has led the council, often referred to as the “crypto council,” since his appointment by President Donald Trump in December 2024.
Patrick Witt, Hines’ current deputy, is expected to succeed him, Terrett reported. Hines will remain in an advisory capacity, assisting White House AI and Crypto czar David Sacks on artificial intelligence initiatives.
Hines confirmed his departure in a post on X, saying he looks forward to continuing his support for the U.S. crypto industry from outside government. During his tenure, Hines positioned the council as a link between White House policy, the crypto sector, interagency activity, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Witt, who has served as deputy director of the crypto council and as acting director of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense, previously worked as Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during the first Trump administration. He does not have direct experience in the crypto industry.
In politics, Witt ran for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District in 2021, receiving a donation from Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel before returning the funds after withdrawing to run for Georgia State Insurance Commissioner.
He lost in the Republican primary. Witt rejoined public service in 2025, taking on dual roles at the crypto council and the Pentagon’s investment office for emerging technologies.
Both Hines and Witt share a background in college football. Hines played at North Carolina State University and Yale, while Witt quarterbacked at Yale and briefly signed with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints as a free agent. Witt withdrew from consideration for a Rhodes Scholarship after an informal complaint of sexual misconduct from an ex-girlfriend, an allegation he has denied.
Hines’ transition comes as the White House continues to shape its approach to digital assets and emerging technologies. His successor will inherit the task of navigating an increasingly complex regulatory and political environment for the crypto sector in Washington.
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