The controversy centers on data published by the New York City Department of Finance, which annually releases assessed values used to calculate property taxes for every property in the city. The agency's FY2027 assessment roll, supplemental market value data, and property tax guides are publicly available through the city's Open Data portal.
Critics on X said the issue is not that the records are public, but that they have been aggregated and organized into a searchable database that makes identifying owners of expensive properties far easier.
Uniswap founder Hayden Adams called it "the worst mass doxxing I've ever seen," saying the database listed nearly every unit in some luxury apartment buildings, including primary residences of people he knows. He argued the project cast too wide a net and called it "incredibly dangerous."
Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz called the database “unsettling” and said it crossed a line by transforming scattered public records into a centralized resource that effectively singled out wealthy individuals.
Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter warned that an easily searchable database of affluent property owners could make potential victims easier to identify, pointing to recent crypto-related kidnappings and violent attacks in Europe.
