The recently released real estate database by New York authorities has drawn sharp criticism from the cryptocurrency sector. Industry representatives argue that the public listing of high-value property owners could heighten the risks of physical attacks and harassment, as reported by Decrypt.
This database is linked to an additional tax assessment for non-primary residences, which was announced in April by New York City Mayor Zohra Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul. The tax applies to single to three-family homes, condominiums, and cooperative apartments valued over $5 million, where the owner’s primary residence is outside the city.
Officials indicate that this initiative targets owners of expensive secondary properties and is expected to generate around $500 million annually. On July 24, the local Department of Finance launched the public database for review until December 31, 2026, emphasizing that it encompasses a broader range of property owners than just the final tax payers.
Concerns Over Data Aggregation Risks
While real estate information in New York has historically been public, critics highlight that the issue lies in the aggregation of data and the ease of access. They argue that this format simplifies the identification of high-end property owners.
Uniswap founder Hayden Adams condemned the publication as "mass doxxing," asserting that the database covers too wide a scope of properties.
This is the worst mass doxxing I've ever seen
Just personally searched several high end apartment buildings that include people I personally know's PRIMARY residence (not pied a terre)
Not only were their units listed, but nearly every unit in the entire building was listed… https://t.co/d101R8Qm9V
— Hayden Adams 🦄 (@haydenzadams) July 27, 2026
«Я только что лично проверил несколько элитных многоквартирных домов, в которых проживают люди, которых я лично знаю […]. К черту всех, кто в этом замешан, это невероятно опасно», — написал он.
Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz described the database as "alarming," stating that authorities have transformed disparate public records into a centralized resource that highlights affluent individuals.
this is unsettling
while this data was largely public prior to this in a messy way
they have cleaned it, organized it, singled out "the rich", and mass distributed it
only the 50th sign this year of privacy continuing to become scarcer https://t.co/o6JvI90egu
— mert (@mert) July 27, 2026
Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter warned that such a list could make it easier for criminals to select targets, linking this risk to the rise in attacks on cryptocurrency asset holders.
So this is a list of wealthy people and their addresses. As we’ve seen in France and Sweden this leads to crypto kidnappings torturings and murders. Yes real estate records are semi public but this is an easily searchable database and target list. That makes a difference - again… https://t.co/NRcm50DUNE
— nic carter (@nic_carter) July 27, 2026
According to CertiK, there were 52 confirmed physical coercion attacks reported in the first half of the year, with the financial exposure associated with these incidents reaching $124.1 million, marking an almost twelvefold increase compared to the same period in 2025.
The primary type of these crimes has been home invasions, analysts noted. Of the 52 cases reported, 39 occurred in Europe, with 33 of those in France.
Source: CertiK. Source: CertiK.It is worth noting that in May 2025, ForkLog reported that offline threats to cryptocurrency entrepreneurs had emerged as a distinct risk area.