After stepping down as the mayor of New York City, he turned 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: Ma He, Foresight News

Editor's Note: Today, just two weeks after leaving office, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a cryptocurrency called "NYC." Uniswap founder Hayden Adams commented on the event, strongly criticizing celebrities and politicians for using blockchain for scams. He pointed out that celebrities should profit from blockchain technology in legitimate ways, such as issuing tokens while maintaining liquidity, providing real value to holders, and ensuring project transparency. For celebrities, only by honestly operating blockchain projects can they gain more profits, protect their reputations, and avoid legal lawsuits. This article from The New York Times provides a more detailed introduction to the event, as follows:

Two weeks ago, Eric Adams held one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government; now, he stands under the neon billboards of Times Square, promoting a New York City-themed cryptocurrency.

For others, such a shift in identity might be embarrassing, but the former New York mayor is all smiles, enthusiastically discussing the advantages of blockchain technology and promising that he will not profit from it for now.

"I miss you all so much, ladies and gentlemen," he said to a group of reporters, before shifting gears to criticize the "major mistakes" made by his successor, discussing business opportunities in far-off capital cities, and admitting that his experience in municipal services like garbage collection has now become a monetizable "professional asset."

This is his first public appearance since leaving office on January 1, but it was cut short as he had to catch a flight. He will first fly to Dallas and then to Senegal, claiming that more opportunities await him there.

At 65, Adams is the most unconventional mayor in New York City's history: coming from a working-class background, he was a police officer but faced federal charges for his pursuit of a luxurious lifestyle. Various signs indicate that his post-mayoral career will continue this "unconventional path."

In the past two weeks, he has met with a Saudi prince in Dubai, visited the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and repeatedly criticized his successor, Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of overturning some pro-Israel policies he implemented during his tenure. This move breaks the unwritten tradition of former mayors maintaining respect for their successors.

Many details of Adams's business dealings remain murky, including his partnership status in cryptocurrency projects. However, his core post-office demands have become increasingly clear: restoring his personal reputation, criticizing his successor, and repaying substantial debts incurred from legal lawsuits. As for the priority of these three, there is currently no conclusion.

"I will not look for a 9-to-5 job anymore," Adams stated, "I only work for myself."

Adams is not the only one planning for life after office while targeting Mamdani. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finalizing a collaboration to host a weekly show on the conservative talk radio station WABC. During his unsuccessful campaign, he was a frequent guest on this station.

According to the New York Post, the show will provide Cuomo with a platform to promote his centrist Democratic political views, and he will likely take the opportunity to criticize Mamdani. Cuomo has previously referred to Mamdani as a "far-left radical."

The station's owner, Republican billionaire John Catsimatidis, stated that he does not plan to pay Cuomo but simply wants to lend a helping hand after his campaign loss. The two parties have yet to finalize the show's airing time. "We feel sorry for what happened to him, and we love New York," Catsimatidis said, "He wants to stay in the public eye and keep in touch with New Yorkers."

However, as of now, Adams's post-office performance is undoubtedly more eye-catching.

Just hours after attending Mamdani's inauguration, he boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai with his long-time partner, Tracey Collins. Besides the Saudi prince, he was also spotted meeting with several wealthy Israeli and Uzbek businessmen.

Many new and old political figures attended Zohran Mamdani's mayoral inauguration, including Adams.

He dined with real estate agent and reality TV star Eleonora Srugo and took a photo with Amir Marashi, which he posted on social media. Marashi, born in Iran, is a gynecologist in New York and a women's health advocate, specializing in vaginal rejuvenation surgery.

Meanwhile, Adams has been closely monitoring developments in New York City. He frequently posts on social media expressing dissatisfaction with Mamdani's governance, such as Mamdani's overturning of the previously adopted expanded definition of anti-Semitism and questioning some of his personnel appointments.

"Everyone needs a grace period, but hate allows no one a grace period," Adams stated at an event on Monday.

Mamdani, on the other hand, refused to respond to Adams's criticisms at another event.

Adams's interest in cryptocurrency is not new. During his tenure as mayor, he chose to receive his first paycheck in cryptocurrency; he is a close friend of billionaire Brock Pierce from the cryptocurrency sector, who, along with others in the crypto industry, supported his campaign before he decided not to run for re-election last fall.

Adams made "supporting Israel and combating anti-Semitism" a core part of his governance, and he has also packaged this new token as a public welfare project, claiming that its proceeds will be used to combat anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, and "teach children to embrace blockchain technology."

The official website of the token shows that its total issuance will reach 1 billion tokens. Adams stated that he will donate some of the token's proceeds to non-profit organizations dedicated to these causes and indicated that he will not receive a salary or any compensation at least in the initial phase.

"The NYC Token is a new generation of cryptocurrency inspired by the unceasing vitality and innovative spirit of New York City," the project website states. "We are building a decentralized financial ecosystem based on cutting-edge blockchain technology, with ambitions that are no different from those of this city."

Nevertheless, Adams still seems overwhelmed when describing the project's details multiple times. At Monday's event and in an interview with Fox News, he repeatedly misnamed the new product as "New York City Coin."

The token's website prominently features Adams's image and invites visitors to "buy now," but as of Monday night, all purchase links on the site were non-functional.

The former mayor stated that he is also exploring other business areas, including advancing related plans during this week's trip to Africa.

"I realize that many services New York City has, even garbage collection, are hard to find in many places around the world," Adams said. "I intend to provide such assistance to other cities and countries."

All these actions raise questions about whether Adams will settle in New York in the future. He previously expressed a desire to retire in a city overseas rather than return to his residence in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

However, two insiders revealed that the former mayor plans to keep New York City as his base and intends to rent an apartment in Manhattan, preferably with a view. Adams himself attempted to dispel public doubts at Monday's event. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.