Eric Adams’ NYC Token Explodes Into Crypto With $700M Frenzy, 80% Crash, and Rug Pull Fears

News	2026-1-13 16:14

Key Takeaways:

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has launched NYC Token, a politically themed meme coin tied to social messaging. The Solana-based token briefly surged toward a $700 million market cap before crashing more than 80% within hours. Liquidity movements triggered rug pull concerns, highlighting risks in political meme coin launches.

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has entered the crypto spotlight with the launch of NYC Token, a meme coin framed as a civic and cultural initiative. The announcement quickly ignited market speculation, pushing the token to extreme volatility within its first trading session.

Eric Adams Launches NYC Token, Blending Politics and Crypto

Eric Adams confirmed the launch of NYC Token in a public post on X, presenting the project as a digital asset aimed at countering antisemitism and anti-American sentiment. The official site of the token brands it more than a speculation, and the blockchain education and involvement of the youth are the interests of the long-term objectives.

Contrary to previous utility-based crypto projects, NYC Token was launched as a political meme coin, a genre that is being dominated by personality-based narratives more than the on-chain fundamentals. The action puts Adams in company with a swelling list of political personalities whose name or influence spilled into the crypto markets.

The project is said to have opened with supply of one billion tokens, of which the initial quantity of tokens in circulation was about 80 million, which is expected to grow. But such important information as structure of governance, partners of development, and a technical white paper were not available on launch.

Explosive Market Reaction Followed by a Sharp Collapse

The reaction to the market was at once and drastic. NYC Token briefly hit the range of 700 million in market capitalization within hours of trading, a figure that was reported as $580 million when speculative demand flooded in.

From Hype to Heavy Volatility

The rally proved short-lived. The price of the token dropped by over 80% as the liquidity situation changed, and hundreds of millions of dollars of paper value were wiped out. The market capitalization was at its lowest of around $90 million, in which it recovered slightly above $110 million.

The price action is typical of classic coin cycles of memes, whereby social momentum and political branding can draw in flows swiftly, only to be unwounded just as swiftly as they were initially, as soon as early liquidity providers start to change their minds.

Liquidity Moves Spark Rug Pull Concerns

Blockchain analytics firms quickly flagged unusual activity surrounding NYC Token’s liquidity pools. According to on-chain data, a wallet associated with the token’s deployer removed approximately $2.5 million in USDC liquidity near peak valuation.

Read More: BNY Launches On-Chain Tokenized Deposits, Bringing $57.8T Custody Giant Into 24/7 Crypto Settlement

One-Sided Liquidity Raises Red Flags

The liquidity was said to have been pulled out of a one-sided pool on Meteor, a Solana-based decentralized exchange mechanism which has the ability to exaggerate price movements. Approximately there was a subsequent redposition of about one point five million dollars when the price of the token had slimmed down to a considerable extent.

Although no serious evidence of ill intent has been proved yet, these movements were raising urgent concern among traders. Meme coin ecosystems are receptive to sudden withdrawals of liquidity at market highs, a familiar risk indicator that can usually be followed by sharp drawdowns.

The episode sparked debate once again concerning transparency and accountability in politically branded crypto projects, particularly those launched without an evident documentation or third-party control.

Political Meme Coins Gain Momentum Across Crypto Markets

NYC Token is now included in a list of increasingly politically associative meme coins, with the likes of Donald Trump, and the Melania Trump token. The combination of political identity, branding of celebrities, and high-risk trading is one product.

As compared to the governance tokens or those based on infrastructural incentives, the political meme coin is heavily dependent on the narrative momentum. Market moves are frequently the mirror of headlines, social, and viral exposure and not adoption rates or protocol fees.

The introduction of NYC Token goes along with the change in the attitude of other political tokens. Others have witnessed long-term decreases, and others have had brief revolutions due to the renewed social interest.

Read More: Base Now Considering Developing a Network Token

The post Eric Adams’ NYC Token Explodes Into Crypto With $700M Frenzy, 80% Crash, and Rug Pull Fears appeared first on CryptoNinjas.

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