New York Mayor-Elect Bats For Cryptocurrency, Seeks First 3 Paychecks In Bitcoin

New York Mayor-elect Eric Adams has said he would take his first three paychecks in bitcoin

New York Mayor-elect Eric Adams said on Thursday he would take his first three paychecks in bitcoin and signalled his intention to make his city the "centre of the cryptocurrency industry" after he takes office in January.

"In New York we always go big, so I'm going to take my first THREE paychecks in bitcoin when I become mayor," Mr Adams wrote in a Twitter post"NYC is going to be the center of the cryptocurrency industry and other fast-growing, innovative industries! Just wait!" The mayor-elect's tweet came in response to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who wrote in a Twitter message of his own that he would take his first paycheck in bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrencyMr Suarez, who won re-election on Tuesday, has been a cryptocurrency champion, setting his sights on building Miami into a hub for cryptocurrency innovationMr Adams, a Democrat, will become the second Black mayor of the United States' most populous city in January after easily defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels civilian safety patrol, in Tuesday's election.

“It shows you that bitcoin is attracting a wide range of interest and you can now include the New York mayor,” Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at FX broker Oandam, said of Mr Adams' announcement.

"But in the end, Eric Adams is not a very influential person for swaying the people that are on the fence to join the cryptoverse," he added. It was not the first time Adams has raised the prospect of a cryptocurrency competition between the two citiesAfter winning the Democratic nomination for mayor in June, he delivered a victory speech in which he vowed the city would become "the center of bitcoins" and "the center of all the technology."