Ex‑Mayor Eric Adams’ NYC Token Surges, Liquidity Withdrawals Spark Rug‑Pull Allegations

Former New York mayor Eric Adams launched “NYC Token” in Times Square days after leaving office. The token’s market cap spiked to nearly $600 million minutes after launch then plunged more than 75%, leaving a circulating market cap near $10.6 million and an FDV around $133 million. On-chain firms Bubblemaps and Beosin report related accounts withdrew roughly $2.37–2.5 million in liquidity at peak and later returned only part (~$1–1.5M), prompting rug‑pull accusations. About 4,000 wallets bought in early, with ~80% of purchases occurring within the first 20 minutes. Key figures tied to the issuance include Adams’ former chief advisor Frank Carone and investor Yosef Sefi Zvieli; Adams denies profiting and refuses to disclose all partners. The event follows Adams’ prior political and campaign‑finance scrutiny and has intensified regulatory interest. Traders should treat celebrity‑backed memecoins with heightened skepticism: verify liquidity locks and audits, monitor on‑chain flows and whale movement, and expect increased on‑chain forensics and possible regulatory scrutiny. Primary SEO keywords: NYC token, rug pull, liquidity rebalancing, on‑chain analysis. Secondary keywords: Eric Adams, Bubble Maps, token launch, price collapse, SEC scrutiny.
Bearish
The incident points to a negative price impact for NYC Token. A rapid pump followed by large liquidity withdrawals and only partial return is consistent with rug‑pull mechanics; that typically destroys retail confidence and reduces secondary‑market demand. Short term: expect extreme volatility, low liquidity, wide bid‑ask spreads, and selling pressure as early buyers cut losses. Exchanges and on‑chain trackers may delist or flag the token, further depressing price. Medium to long term: reputation damage and regulatory scrutiny (given political ties) will likely suppress credible recovery or renewed capital inflows unless the project publishes verifiable audits, full team disclosures, and a clear liquidity‑lock proof. For traders, the signal is to avoid directional long exposure until on‑chain evidence shows sustained locked liquidity and transparent governance; opportunistic short or liquidation plays could be possible but carry high risk due to low liquidity and market manipulation potential.