Eric Adams Unveils NYCToken Cryptocurrency to Fund Fight Against Antisemitism

2026-01-13 general

New York City, Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
Former Mayor Adams launched NYCToken Monday to combat antisemitism using blockchain revenue, though the venture debuts with a largely non-functional website and undisclosed financial backers.

A Digital Return to Times Square

Fresh from international travels to Dubai and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eric Adams appeared in Times Square on Monday, January 12, to introduce his latest venture: the NYCToken [1][2][7]. The former mayor, who has long championed New York as a potential cryptocurrency hub, positioned the project not merely as a financial instrument but as a tool for social advocacy [3]. Adams stated that the token is designed to generate revenue for a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating antisemitism and “anti-Americanism,” while also funding educational initiatives focused on blockchain technology for children [1][7]. He identified himself as one of the project’s three creators, explicitly clarifying that crypto entrepreneur Brock Pierce is not involved in this specific endeavor [1][2].

Technical Stumbles and Market Volatility

Despite the ambitious rhetoric, the project’s rollout faced immediate technical hurdles. As of Monday afternoon, the project’s websites—buynyctoken.com and nyctoken.info—were largely non-functional, displaying broken buttons and lacking critical information such as a whitepaper or clear purchasing mechanisms [1][2][3][6]. The token, which operates on the Solana blockchain, reportedly has a total supply of 1 billion coins [3][6]. Valuation figures fluctuated wildly in the hours following the announcement; while initial reports cited a market capitalization of $2.5 million [3][6], other data indicated the capitalization had surged to over $87 million [6]. This represents a staggering discrepancy of 3380% between the initial valuation and the reported peak, highlighting the extreme volatility often associated with such celebrity-backed digital assets.

Political Friction and Financial Structure

The venture’s financial structure allocates 10% of profits to the development team, with the remainder pledged to the associated nonprofit [2]. Adams asserted that he is not currently drawing a salary from the project, though he left the door open for future compensation, stating, “Down the line, if you take the determination of doing so, we will reveal that” [1][2]. The launch also served as a platform for political commentary. Adams criticized his successor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for revoking executive orders related to the definition of antisemitism and the banning of boycotts against Israel [4][7]. “I think everyone needs their grace period. But no one gets a grace period on hate,” Adams remarked regarding Mamdani’s policy shifts [7].

Future Outlook

The reception from City Hall was decidedly cool; when asked if he would purchase the new token, Mayor Mamdani offered a succinct “No” [1][4][7]. Meanwhile, Adams signaled that this project is part of a broader post-mayoral career path that includes consulting and further international travel to destinations like Dallas and Senegal [2][7]. While he emphasized his intention to continue “working for Eric Adams” rather than taking a traditional salary job [2][7], the long-term viability of the NYCToken remains to be seen, particularly given the skepticism surrounding the integration of public service legacies with decentralized finance markets [8].

Sources

Cryptocurrency Antisemitism