New York City released a list of 31,000 properties on July 24 that could be subject to a new pied-à-terre tax, drawing immediate backlash from crypto founders who say the public disclosure puts wealthy individuals at risk of physical attacks. The list includes street addresses, building names, apartment numbers, and owner names for condos and co-ops valued at $1 million or more, and houses at $5 million or more.
Why crypto founders are worried
The concern isn't hypothetical. CertiK reported 52 'wrench attacks' — physical coercion to steal crypto — in the first half of 2026, up from 39 in the same period last year. Total losses hit $124.2 million, compared to $10.5 million a year earlier. The average case jumped from $270,000 to $2.39 million. Home invasions specifically rose from 1 case to 20 cases in H1 2026.
France accounted for 33 of those 52 attacks. French investigators found that a tax office employee sold crypto investor data to criminal networks. That pattern — a public list combined with leaked databases — is exactly what critics fear in New York.
Hayden Adams, Mert Mumtaz, and Nic Carter were among the crypto founders who criticized the list as a doxxing of wealthy individuals, making them targets for crime. The NYC list contains no crypto ownership data, but it can be cross-referenced with other leaked databases to identify crypto holders.
What the list actually contains
The city published addresses, building names, apartment numbers, and owner names for properties that may be subject to the new tax. The tax targets second homes: condos and co-ops valued at $1 million or more, and houses valued at $5 million or more. The list is preliminary — many properties may be removed on appeal before the final tax roll is due December 31, 2026.
Property tax lawyer Ben Williams testified the list is too broad and many homes will be removed on appeal. That doesn't help the people whose names are public right now.
The tax and its critics
The pied-à-terre tax is aimed at wealthy out-of-state and foreign owners who use New York apartments only part-time. But the disclosure method has drawn sharp criticism. Publishing owner names alongside addresses creates a searchable map of high-value targets, critics argue. The timing isn't great — wrench attacks are already rising fast, and the French case shows how easily tax data can be weaponized.
The final tax roll is due December 31, 2026. Until then, the list stays public. For the crypto founders on it, that's a long six months.
