UAE Shuts Down TON’s Golden Visa Rumors – Token Tumbles 6% Amid Regulatory Pushback

Dubai draws a hard line—TON’s alleged ‘Golden Visa’ offer gets slapped down by UAE officials. The token bled 6% in hours as traders scrambled.

Regulators strike back

No sweetheart deals here. The UAE’s denial came fast and public—sending a clear signal to crypto projects eyeing regulatory shortcuts. TON’s price nosedived faster than a speculative altcoin in a bear market.

Crypto’s perpetual dance with legitimacy

Another day, another clash between blockchain ambitions and government red tape. The dip? Just a temporary setback for true believers—or another reminder that ‘adoption’ still means playing by old-world rules. (But hey, at least the Dubai FOMO crowd got a discount.)

UAE dismissed TON’s Golden Visa claims

The pullback followed swift clarification from UAE authorities, who dismissed the staking-for-visa claims, putting the brakes on the token’s momentum. 

Key UAE authorities, including the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), and Dubai’s VIRTUAL Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)—have firmly denied any arrangement linking Toncoin staking to the country’s Golden Visa program.

In an official statement, the ICP clarified that Golden Visas are granted under well-defined and government-sanctioned categories, none of which include cryptocurrency investors.

Eligible recipients, according to current guidelines, are typically real estate investors, entrepreneurs, exceptional talents, scientists, outstanding students, humanitarian leaders, and frontline workers.

This clarification effectively debunked the notion that staking digital assets like Toncoin could be a gateway to UAE residency.

Binance’s founder also questioned its legitimacy

Adding to the skepticism, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) also publicly questioned the credibility of The Open Network’s Golden Visa offer.

Highlighting inconsistencies, CZ noted that standard UAE Golden Visa applications typically cost around $1,000 when processed through authorized agents, far less than the $35,000 processing fee tied to TON staking.

According to his sources, staking activities in the UAE fall under regulatory oversight, and any such initiative WOULD require proper licensing from bodies like VARA, SCA, or ADGM.

CZ added, 

“There are no official government websites with the stake TON for the golden visa update. This program would be awesome if it were true.” 

As expected, CZ’s concerns highlighted the need for clear, verified information before promoting high-stakes token utility programs.

What’s more?

Another reason for the skepticism surrounding TON’s residency offer was the glaring difference in investment requirements compared to traditional UAE Golden Visa routes.

Normally, applicants must invest at least $540,000 in illiquid assets like real estate or long-term business ventures.

In contrast, TON offered the same 10-year residency in return for just $100,000 worth of staked tokens, an unusually low threshold that sharply deviated from established norms.

This stark disparity triggered red flags among observers, who questioned the program’s legitimacy and emphasized the urgent need for regulatory clarity in crypto-driven initiatives.

Remarking on this, Bobby Ong, co-founder of CoinGecko, said, 

“The entry is 5x lower than an equivalent real estate / FD investment and will certainly get the attention of whales to take a look at TON and consider this as an option.” 

At press time, TON was trading at a 2.23% decline after somewhat stabilizing after this news, sitting at $2.81 per CoinMarketCap.