After stepping down as mayor of New York, he turned to selling cryptocurrency

Original Author: Nicholas Fandos, Debra Kamin

Original Compilation: Chopper, Foresight News

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

For anyone else, such a shift in status might be embarrassing, but the former New York mayor was all smiles, enthusiastically discussing the advantages of blockchain technology and promising not to profit from it for the time being.

"I've missed you all so much, ladies and gentlemen," he told a group of reporters, before pivoting to criticize his successor's "major mistakes," talk about business opportunities in foreign capitals, and admit that his experience in municipal services like garbage collection has now become monetizable "expertise capital."

This was his first public appearance since leaving office on January 1st, but it was cut short as he had a flight to catch. He was heading to Dallas first, then onward to Senegal, claiming more opportunities awaited him there.

The 65-year-old Adams is the most unconventional mayor in New York City's history: from a working-class background, a former police officer, yet facing federal indictment for his pursuit of a lavish lifestyle. All signs indicate his post-mayoral career will continue this "unconventional" path.

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 attacked his successor, Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of overturning some of his pro-Israel policies. This move broke the unwritten tradition of former mayors showing respect to their successors.

Details of Adams's many business dealings remain murky, including his partnership role in the cryptocurrency project. But his post-mayoral core objectives are becoming clearer: restoring his personal reputation, attacking his successor, and repaying massive debts from legal battles. The priority among these three is still undetermined.

"I'm not going to get a nine-to-five salaried job," Adams said. "I'm working for myself."

Adams isn't the only one planning his post-office livelihood while targeting Mamdani. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finalizing a deal to host a weekly show on the conservative talk radio station WABC, where he was a frequent guest during his unsuccessful campaign.

According to the New York Post, the show will provide Cuomo with a regular platform to promote his centrist Democratic politics, and he is likely to use it to criticize Mamdani, whom he previously called a "far-left radical."

The station's owner, Republican billionaire John Catsimatidis, said he does not plan to pay Cuomo but wants to help him after his electoral loss. The show's time slot hasn't been finalized. "We feel sorry for him, and we love New York," Catsimatidis said. "He wants to stay in the public eye and connected to New Yorkers."

But so far, Adams's post-mayoral performance has undoubtedly been more eye-catching.

Hours after attending Mamdani's inauguration, he boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai with his longtime partner, Tracey Collins. Besides the Saudi prince, he was photographed meeting with several wealthy Israeli and Uzbek businessmen.

Numerous new and old political figures attended Zohran Mamdani's mayoral inauguration, with Adams among them

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

Meanwhile, Adams has kept a close eye on developments in New York City. He frequently posts on social media expressing dissatisfaction with Mamdani's governance: for example, Mamdani's reversal of the city's previously adopted expanded definition of antisemitism and questioning some of his personnel appointments.

"Everyone needs a grace period, but hate doesn't give anyone a grace period," Adams said at Monday's event.

Mamdani, at another event, declined to respond to Adams's criticism.

Adams's interest in cryptocurrency is not new. During his tenure as mayor, he chose to receive his first paycheck in cryptocurrency; he is close friends with crypto billionaire Brock Pierce, who, along with other crypto industry figures, funded his campaign last fall before he dropped his re-election bid.

Adams made "supporting Israel and combating antisemitism" a core part of his governance, and he has framed this new token as a philanthropic project, saying its proceeds will go towards fighting antisemitism, anti-Americanism, and "teaching children to embrace blockchain technology."

The token's official website states its total supply will be 1 billion. Adams said he would donate proceeds from a portion of these tokens to non-profit organizations dedicated to the aforementioned causes and stated he would not receive a salary or any compensation, at least initially.

"NYC Token is a new generation cryptocurrency inspired by the relentless energy and innovative spirit of New York City," the project's website reads. "Built on cutting-edge blockchain technology, we are creating a decentralized financial ecosystem with ambitions as grand as the city itself."

Nevertheless, Adams has struggled at times to describe the project's details accurately. During 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 evening, all purchase links on the site were non-functional.

The former mayor said he is also exploring other business areas, including plans to be advanced during his trip to Africa this week.

"I realize that many services New York City has, even garbage collection, are not available in many parts of the world," Adams said. "I plan to offer that kind of help to other cities and countries."

All these actions raise questions about whether Adams will continue to reside in New York. He previously stated he hoped to retire in a city overseas rather than return to his home in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant.

But two people familiar with the matter said 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 tried to dispel doubts at Monday's event. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.