Cryptocurrency's Newest Target: A Wholesome Dog Contest Gone Wild

NYC Dog Mayor Election of 2024: From Adorable to Absurd

The 2024 Honorary NYC Dog Mayor Election began as a fun and friendly online contest. People got to vote for their favorite dogs, each charming in their own way, in a lighthearted bracket-style competition. But by the end, things took an unexpected, chaotic twist.

At first, the competition ran smoothly. In the early rounds, Mello the Samoyed won against Puccini the Yorkiepoo, and Mr. Tobi, the silky terrier, defeated Louie the French bulldog. Fans cheered on their favorites and enjoyed each round, which seemed like a harmless way to support some of the cutest canines in New York City.

Then, however, Bertram the Pomeranian entered the spotlight. Bertram already had a massive following—almost 400,000 fans on Instagram—and had previously gone viral for his striking resemblance to Paddington Bear. As the competition progressed, though, it became clear that Bertram’s popularity was receiving a boost from a cryptocurrency in his name, launched by an enthusiastic fan. Supporters of the cryptocurrency believed that the further Bertram advanced in the contest, the higher the value of the coin would climb.

Another strong contender was Enzo the Shih Tzu, a social media sensation with close to 100,000 followers, managed by his influencer owner, Olivia Caputo. Though Enzo made it to the final rounds, he eventually dropped out, leaving the competition with a bittersweet end for many of his loyal fans.

What started as a joyful, wholesome contest became an unexpectedly dramatic event—complete with accusations of ballot stuffing, heated fan debates, and even cryptocurrency-influenced campaigning. Whether the election results were fair or not, the 2024 Honorary NYC Dog Mayor contest will be remembered as much for its social media stardom as for the surprising drama that unfolded.

How a Fun NYC Dog Mayor Contest Became a Tale of Crypto Chaos

When Olivia Caputo entered her Shih Tzu, Enzo, in the 2024 NYC Honorary Dog Mayor contest, she thought it would be a lighthearted way to connect with Enzo's fans. “I thought it would be fun and a good way to engage our audience,” Caputo said. “It would be so silly for Enzo to have a title. I did it for the fun of it all. It turned out not to be very fun.”

The contest was originally created in 2022 by Stephen Calabria, who works for the Mount Sinai Health System, as a way to raise awareness for shelter dogs and promote adoption. Calabria said, “Frankly, I had always envisioned this as a good faith and good-humored way to get shelter dogs adopted and to use this as a platform for good. If I never hear the word ‘crypto’ again, it will be a blessing.”

In the early rounds, it was just an adorable competition, with dogs like Mello the Samoyed, Mr. Tobi the silky terrier, and Ziggy the Yorkie mix all getting their moments to shine. But things took a strange turn when Bertram the Pomeranian—a dog with a large Instagram following—was boosted by a cryptocurrency campaign created in his name.

Caputo first noticed a spike in Bertram’s votes during his quarterfinal match against Ziggy. His votes surged to over 4,000 from around 1,000 in earlier rounds, which lined up with a social media frenzy to support Bertram. People even offered money to get others to vote for him. Caputo then found a public Telegram group dedicated to the contest, filled with thousands of messages. Some were aggressive and even included hateful language directed at Enzo. Members spoke of using the contest to “pump the price” of Bertram’s new cryptocurrency coin, showcasing how social media stardom and cryptocurrency speculation collided.

This surprising twist of cryptocurrency influencing a dog contest shows how even the simplest competitions can quickly get swept up in the forces of online speculation. Thousands of cryptocurrencies circulate on exchanges, where they can be easily created and traded, often with high volatility. What started as a fun way to celebrate NYC’s cutest dogs became a tale of ballot-stuffing, crypto-driven tactics, and unexpected drama in the world of canine politics.

Crypto Chaos Leads to Surprise Ending in NYC Dog Mayor Race

After a whirlwind of drama, Enzo the Shih Tzu bowed out of the NYC Dog Mayor contest, but the intrigue wasn’t over. With Enzo gone, Simon, the Basset Hound and cattle dog mix he had previously defeated, took his place in the finals to face Bertram the Pomeranian.

However, the final round was anything but smooth. Calabria, who organized the contest, noticed peculiar spikes in votes for Bertram. “There were certain things that just didn’t seem right,” he said. "We’d see blocs of 2,000 votes at once. It went from a close race to Bertram suddenly leading with 96 percent.”

Calabria noted that while Simon had strong support on the contest’s website and Facebook page, the results were skewed heavily in Bertram’s favor on Instagram, likely due to Bertram’s followers and a crypto-fueled campaign pushing his votes.

But then, a surprise turn changed the outcome. On Tuesday, Bertram’s owner, Ms. Grayson, announced that Bertram would concede the title to Simon. “He wants what’s best for all humans and non-humans,” Calabria said, adding that Bertram’s “win-at-all-costs” fans had made the experience more stressful than expected. Grayson echoed this sentiment, saying, “This poor guy tried to have this fun thing, but instead he’s going to spend two weeks hand counting because of some crypto.”

What started as a lighthearted contest to promote shelter dogs and adoption turned into an unexpected, crypto-charged spectacle. In the end, Simon became the NYC Dog Mayor, while Bertram showed he was, indeed, the bigger dog.