Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a new cryptocurrency called “NYC Token” on January 12, 2026, drawing quick attention and equally fast criticism.

According to reports, Adams presented the project in Times Square and framed it as a way to support education and to fight anti-semitism and anti-American sentiment. The token is built on the Solana blockchain, based on information released at the launch.

According to the official pitch and subsequent statements, proceeds from the token were to help fund scholarships and blockchain training programs for underserved communities.

Adams described the coin as a civic symbol tied to New York’s identity and global reach. The launch was promoted with promises of community benefits, but critics said the public information about governance and fund handling was thin.

The market reacted in a rush. Based on reports, the token briefly showed an implied market cap of about $580 million–$730 million in the first hours after trading began. Then prices tumbled.

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

Trades showed a fall of roughly 80% as the token’s price dropped from near $0.46 to about $0.10 shortly after markets opened for the asset. Trading volume spiked and then collapsed, leaving many traders facing big losses.

On-chain observers and crypto analysts flagged sudden withdrawals of liquidity minutes after the token’s debut. Reports have disclosed that millions of dollars were pulled from trading pools, which prompted accusations of a rug pull from some corners of the crypto community.

The token’s official website was also criticized for missing or nonfunctional links to key documents, and there was little detail about which groups would receive funds or how decisions would be made.

Eric Adams is no stranger to digital assets. During his time in office he converted parts of his salary to Bitcoin and Ethereum and pushed policies to attract blockchain firms to the city.

His successor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, declined to take part in the token project and did not endorse it. That split in approach raised questions about whether a former official should use his public profile to promote a privately issued coin.

Analysts called for transparency and urged a closer look at on-chain data. Based on reports from blockchain trackers, some transfers and liquidity extractions were visible publicly on the Solana network, which added to the scrutiny.

Community groups and investors asked for clearer disclosures, while legal experts warned that investigations or regulatory attention could follow if money was moved in ways that harmed ordinary buyers.

Featured image by ThomasShanahan / iStock.com, chart from TradingView

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