Crypto Gets An Address: New York City Unveils US’ 1st Official Crypto Office

New York City moved on October 14, 2025, to form an official office focused on crypto and blockchain. According to the city’s announcement, Mayor Eric Adams signed Executive Order 57 to set up the Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology.

The office will be the first-ever municipal body in the United States dedicated solely to these technologies. Moises Rendon was named Executive Director. Reports say the office will report to the city’s Chief Technology Officer.

New Crypto Office: 5 Main Functions

According to the executive order, the new office has five main duties. It will guide city policy on digital assets, coordinate across agencies, run public education programs, explore how blockchain could help city services, and work with the NYC Economic Development Corporation to draw business and jobs.

The move is described as an attempt to balance consumer protection and broader access. Some of the work will focus on helping underbanked New Yorkers understand risks like fraud and scams.

City Hires Policy Expert To Lead Effort

Based on reports, Rendon has previously worked inside city government on technology and policy issues, most recently as a policy advisor in the Office of Technology and Innovation.

He will be expected to connect city departments that touch payments, records, and technical projects. Coordination is part of the mandate. Agencies will be asked to align their approaches so residents and companies face less confusion when they deal with city services that involve tokens, wallets, or blockchain records.

Reports have disclosed that one major aim is public education. The office will create outreach programs to explain what digital assets are, how they work, and what dangers exist.

That is meant to lower the chance that consumers fall for scams or lose savings to hacks. It will also study possible blockchain uses for public records and secure data sharing. Some projects will be exploratory and may require partnerships with private firms or universities.

According to city statements, the crypto office will coordinate with state and federal regulators rather than try to replace them. It will offer advice to the mayor and act as a single point of contact for industry groups that want to work with the city.

Adams has long backed cryptocurrency. When he became mayor in January 2022, he converted his first three paychecks into Bitcoin and Ethereum, a move that drew mockery from many.

By late 2024, as Bitcoin neared $100,000, he fired back at critics, saying, “Remember y’all laughed at me when I first got my Bitcoin? Who’s laughing now?”

Records show his Bitcoin holdings at the end of 2023 ranged between $5,000 and $55,000.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView