Eric Adams has embarked on a notable initiative as he transitions from his role as the Mayor of New York City, unveiling a new crypto token themed around the city aimed at combating antisemitism and promoting patriotism.
In a Monday announcement on X, Adams introduced the NYC Token, with a link to a website claiming the token would also foster innovation in the Big Apple.
“I always say there are two types of Americans, those who live in New York and those who wish they could,” Adams stated in a video, promising a transformative experience.
“If you can’t make it to New York, we’re going to bring New York to you,” he emphasized, predicting that the token’s popularity would soar.
Proud to launch @buynyctoken, a new token built to fight the rapid spread of antisemitism and anti-Americanism across this country and now in New York City.
Now live at https://t.co/zowY9Ri3aK pic.twitter.com/qBMzV88Tmj
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) January 12, 2026
During an interview with FOX Business, Adams revealed that the funding from the NYC Token would be directed to non-profits aimed at promoting education about antisemitism and national values, alongside blockchain and crypto awareness.
“[There’s a] wave of anti-Americanism that is sweeping not only on Ivy League college campuses but in the cities, so the goal is how do we use blockchain technology with this token, and a substantial amount of money raised from this token is going to fight those initiatives.”
NYC Token Faces Turbulent Launch
Unfortunately, the NYC Token experienced a challenging debut, plunging from $0.47 to around $0.10 approximately 30 minutes following its launch. The market cap saw a significant decrease from approximately $500 million to under $110 million at the time of this report.
Further complicating matters, there are unverified claims suggesting that the team behind the token has intentionally compromised liquidity, with crypto analyst Rune pointing to blockchain data that indicates investors could have been scammed out of over $3.4 million.
Cointelegraph sought Adams’ insights on these allegations but hasn’t received a response yet.
Future of the NYC Token Uncertain
The official NYC Token website lacks clarity regarding the project’s trajectory. Notably, the “Buy NYC Token” and “Read Whitepaper” features are currently non-functional.
However, according to its tokenomics, 40% is earmarked for community rewards, 25% for liquidity, 15% for development, and the remaining 20% divided between marketing and team.
Adams is poised to pursue more than just launching a token, with hints towards creating a decentralized financial ecosystem as ambitious as New York City itself.
Shift in NYC’s Leadership
Adams left office on January 1, succeeding to Zohran Mamdani following the November elections.
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While Adams was known as a pro-crypto mayor, Mamdani is recognized for his anti-capitalist views, a perspective that has raised concerns in the crypto sector about potential talent exodus from the city.
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