- The rumor mill is rife with speculations that Pentagon guy Patrick Witt may take over Bo Hines’ recently vacated position in President Donald Trump’s digital assets council.
- Given his credentials, Witt’s entry could mean a new direction in the USA’s crypto advance: one that is no longer just confined to the country’s monetary and fiscal policies, but also from a national security perspective.
Bo Hines, Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets of the White House, surprisingly resigned on Saturday. This comes right after he submitted the historic Crypto Policy Report by the end of July.
The rumor mill suggests Patrick Witt, who formerly performed the duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD-RE) at the Department of Defense (DoD), will take over his position.
Hines’ move has undoubtedly generated mixed emotions in the cryptocurrency community. On the other hand, given his credentials and Pentagon links, many see Witt’s potential succession as a game-changer in the USA’s crypto advance.
Bo Hines’ Resignation
The 29-year-old crypto adviser of President Donald Trump made the big announcement at noon on Saturday. In a post on X, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity he was given in his White House stint.
“Serving in President Trump’s administration and working alongside our brilliant AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks as Executive Director of the White House Crypto Council has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Hines. “Together, we have positioned America as the crypto capital of the world. I’m deeply grateful to the industry for its unwavering support — I love this community and all we’ve built together.”
Hines didn’t provide any reason for his resignation. He stated that he will return to the private sector, but will continue to support the government’s crypto initiatives.
“As I return to the private sector, I look forward to continuing my support for the crypto ecosystem as it thrives here in the United States,” he stated.
Patrick Witt Taking Over
Witt’s entry into the top list of Hines’ possible successors could spell something big brewing in the American blockchain and crypto landscape. Some crypto community members see it as not a mere staffing change but a significant upgrade in the USA’s technological and economic advancement.
The Pentagon man’s credentials could reveal where Trump is heading next in the blockchain and crypto race. It hints at Trump’s potential weaponization of the burgeoning digital assets sector and its underlying technology to ensure the USA’s dominance in the geoeconomic and geopolitical landscape. It could be similar to how he uses tariffs to regain the country’s manufacturing and trading edge.
According to his government profile on the DoD website, Witt oversaw activities in the following divisions:
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
- Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
- DoD Laboratory and Engineering Center enterprise
- Under the Secretariat staff centering on the development of advanced technology and capability for the US military
Blockchain and Crypto: Hot Commodities in Modern Warfare
Clearly, the US may now be recognizing blockchain and crypto as not just investment mediums, but new commodities in modern warfare. This echoes the theory earlier pushed by Jason Lowery, a former Deputy Director of Technology & Innovation at Space Force and current Special Assistant to the Commander at the US Indo-Pacific Command.
Lowery emphasized in his book, titled “Softwar: A Novel Theory on Power Projection and the National Strategic Significance of Bitcoin,” that nations will no longer fight future wars using conventional means but mainly with block rewards to control economic and political narratives.
Hence, a more experienced Pentagon guy like Witt could be the turning point in giving the US a strategic edge in the coming age of Web3. It could turn the industry into a critical infrastructure in the national security or US war machine setting, instead of the solely market-focused approach of his predecessor.
After all, North Korea has already pulled the trigger in this narrative with the Lazarus Group, a hacking outfit that has crippled several crypto firms worldwide. Israel-linked Gonjeshke Darande has also waged a cyberwar, and lately, a Web3 war with Iran. Meanwhile, other nations like Russia, China, and Iran have reportedly bypassed their sanctions using crypto. Furthermore, Ukraine has been using crypto to fund its war against Russia.
All these underscore the growing role of blockchain and crypto in world affairs that’s no longer just confined to investment and monetary circles, and reasons why the US should integrate them within its defense priorities.
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