After leaving the mayor's office, he pivoted to selling cryptocurrency
Original Title: Pitching Crypto and Needling Mamdani: Adams‘s Post-Mayoralty Takes Shape
Original Authors: Nicholas Fandos, Debra Kamin, The New York Times
Original Translation: Mach, Foresight News
Editor's Note: Today, just two weeks after leaving office, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched the cryptocurrency "NYC." Uniswap founder Hayden Adams commented on this event, strongly criticizing celebrities and politicians for engaging in fraudulent behavior through blockchain. He pointed out that celebrities should profit from blockchain technology in legitimate ways, such as issuing tokens while maintaining liquidity, providing actual value to holders, and maintaining project transparency. For celebrities, only by honestly operating a blockchain project can they gain more benefits, protect their reputation, and avoid legal action. This article is from The New York Times and provides a more detailed account of this event, as follows:
Just two weeks ago, Eric Adams held one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government system; today, he stands beneath the neon billboards of Times Square, peddling a cryptocurrency themed around New York City.
For anyone else, such a change in status might be embarrassing, but the former mayor of New York is all smiles, extolling the virtues of blockchain technology and promising not to profit from it at this time.
"I've missed you all so much, ladies and gentlemen." He addressed a group of reporters, then quickly shifted focus to criticize the "grave mistakes" made by his successor, discuss business opportunities in foreign capitals, and even mentioned how his experience in areas like garbage collection in municipal services has now become a monetizable "professional asset."
This was his first public appearance since stepping down on January 1, but it was short-lived as he had to catch a flight. He is flying first to Dallas and then heading to Senegal, where he says more opportunities await him.
The 65-year-old Adams is the most eccentric mayor in New York City's history: from a working-class background to a former police officer who was federally indicted for his pursuit of a lavish lifestyle. All signs indicate that his post-mayoral career will continue to embody this unconventional style.
Just in the past two weeks, he met with a Saudi prince in Dubai, visited the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and repeatedly criticized successor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of overturning some of his pro-Israel policies introduced during his tenure. This move broke the unwritten tradition of outgoing mayors showing respect for their successors.
Many details of Adams' various business dealings remain shrouded in mystery, including his partner's identity in a cryptocurrency project. However, his core demands after leaving office have become increasingly clear: restore his personal reputation, attack the successor, and repay the massive debts incurred due to legal actions. As for the priority among these three, there is currently no consensus.
"I will not look for a 9-to-5 job again." Adams stated, "I only work for myself."
Adams is not the only one planning his livelihood after leaving office while also targeting Mamdani. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finalizing a deal to host a weekly show on the conservative talk radio station WABC. He was a frequent guest on this station during his unsuccessful re-election campaign.
According to the New York Post, the show will provide Cuomo with a fixed platform to promote his centrist Democratic political beliefs, and he is likely to take the opportunity to attack Mamdani. Cuomo had previously referred to Mamdani as an "extreme left-wing radical."
The station's owner, Republican billionaire John Catsimatidis, said he does not intend to pay Cuomo a salary, but rather wants to lend him a hand after his election defeat. The two sides have not yet finalized the show's airtime. "We are sorry for his experience, and we deeply love New York." Catsimatidis said, "He wants to maintain public attention and stay connected with the citizens of New York."
However, Adams' post-mayoral performance so far has undoubtedly raised more eyebrows.
Hours after attending Mamdani's inauguration ceremony, he boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai with his long-time girlfriend Tracey Collins. Apart from the Saudi prince, he was also seen meeting with several wealthy Israeli and Uzbek businessmen.
Numerous current and former political figures attended Zohran Mamdani's mayoral inauguration, with Adams among them
He had dinner with real estate broker and reality TV star Eleonora Srugo, and took a photo with Amir Marashi, which was shared on social media. Marashi, born in Iran, is a gynecologist in New York and a women's health advocate, specializing in procedures such as vaginal rejuvenation surgery.
Meanwhile, Adams has been closely watching the developments in New York City. He has been active on social media, expressing his dissatisfaction with Mamdani's governance, such as Mamdani overturning the city's previous definition of anti-Semitism expansion and questioning some of his personnel appointments.
"Everyone deserves a grace period, but hate allows no one grace," Adams said at Monday's event.
On the other hand, Mamdani, at another event, refused to respond to Adams's criticisms.
Adams' interest in cryptocurrency did not happen overnight. During his mayoral tenure, he chose to receive his first paycheck in cryptocurrency form; he is close friends with cryptocurrency billionaire Brock Pierce, and last fall, before dropping out of the re-election race, Pierce and other cryptocurrency industry figures supported his campaign financially.
During his term, Adams made "Supporting Israel, Combating Anti-Semitism" a core part of his governance. This time, he has packaged this new token as a charity project, stating that its proceeds will be used to combat anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, and "teach children to embrace blockchain technology."
The token's official website shows that the total supply will reach 1 billion tokens. Adams said he will donate some of the token proceeds to non-profit organizations dedicated to the above causes and stated that he will not take a salary or any compensation at least initially.
"NYC Token is a next-generation cryptocurrency inspired by the ever-vibrant energy and innovative spirit of New York City," the project's website reads. "We are building a decentralized financial ecosystem based on cutting-edge blockchain technology, whose ambitions are second to none other than this city."
Nevertheless, Adams appeared inadequate in describing the details of the project on multiple occasions. In Monday's event and in an interview with Fox News, he repeatedly mistakenly referred to this new product as "New York City Coin."
Adams' image is prominently featured on the token's official website, inviting visitors to "Buy Now," but as of Monday evening, all purchase links on the website were not functional.
The former mayor stated that he is also exploring other business areas, with plans to advance related initiatives, including this week's trip to Africa.
"I realize that many of the services New York City has, even things like garbage collection, are hard to come by in many parts of the world," Adams said. "I intend to offer this kind of help to other cities and countries."
All of this has raised questions about Adams's future in New York. Previously, he had indicated that he hoped to retire in a city overseas rather than return to his residence in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
However, two people familiar with the matter said the former mayor still planned to make New York City his base of operations, intending to rent an apartment in Manhattan, preferably with a view. Adams himself sought to dispel doubts on Monday at an event. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.
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