Biotech entrepreneur and prominent crypto supporter Vivek Ramaswamy has reportedly stepped down from his role as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

His decision is said to stem from a desire to run for governor of Ohio next year, with the current occupant of the seat, Mike DeWine, ineligible for reelection in 2026 since he is serving his second four-year term in office.

A Political Pivot for Ramaswamy

It is not the first time Ramaswamy has shown interest in high-profile political roles, having sought the Republican nomination for president in 2024. He had also shown interest in succeeding Vice President JD Vance as the senator for Ohio before Governor DeWine selected his deputy, Jon Husted, to fill the vacancy.

His departure from D.O.G.E, first reported by The Associated Press, is in line with the department’s new structural guidelines, which require members to step back from active roles if pursuing elected office.

The Cincinnati native has been a vocal advocate for crypto, criticizing the regulatory approach to the assets in the U.S. and even accusing the Biden administration and Wall Street of trying to “suppress” the industry.

He praised Grayscale’s victory against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when it wanted to convert its Bitcoin Trust into a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF), saying the win made it possible to keep BTC and blockchain innovations in the U.S. instead of pushing them overseas.

Towards the end of last year, his company, Strive Asset Management, filed for a BTC bond ETF with the SEC that would provide institutional investors and everyday Americans easy access to financial instruments based on the number one cryptocurrency.

Musk Left as Sole Leader

President Donald Trump appointed the 38-year-old to lead DOGE alongside Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk soon after winning the elections in late 2024.

Launched under his “Save America” agenda, Trump formally established the task force via an executive order on the day of his inauguration. It aims to modernize the federal government’s operations by slashing inefficiencies, reducing regulatory red tape, and streamlining government spending.

Alongside its bold goals, the initiative drew attention due to its playful acronym, which is similar to the ticker of the largest meme coin by market capitalization, Dogecoin. Incidentally, Musk, who is now its sole leader, is a long-term supporter of Dogecoin, even earning the nickname “Dogefather” for his endorsement of the token.

The billionaire businessman recently proposed a public “leaderboard” that would highlight the most egregious examples of government inefficiency, an idea he described as “tragic” and “entertaining.”