Bitcoin Millionaires Are Buying Their Way Into New Countries With Golden Visas
Crypto's new elite are trading digital fortunes for real-world passports.
The Golden Visa Gold Rush
Forget waiting in line. A wave of Bitcoin millionaires is bypassing traditional immigration hurdles by pouring crypto gains into residency-by-investment programs from Portugal to the UAE. These 'golden visas' offer a fast track to citizenship for those who can prove substantial wealth—and suddenly, proving it with Bitcoin is looking a lot more legitimate to governments.
They're not just buying property anymore. The playbook has expanded to include business investments and even cultural donations—all funded by crypto wallets that have appreciated beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It’s a global reshuffling of wealth and power, powered by blockchain.
Of course, traditional finance guys are clutching their pearls—nothing stings quite like watching someone use an asset you called a 'fraud' to buy the citizenship you inherited.
This isn't a niche trend anymore. It's a full-blown migration of capital, and it's rewriting the rules of global mobility. The message is clear: in the new world order, your passport might just be your next altcoin.
Property market opens to crypto buyers
Real estate is one channel. Many schemes LINK qualification to buying property, and developers in St. Kitts & Nevis, Panama, and the UAE now accept crypto as payment, creating what Volek calls “an indirect pathway for crypto holders to participate.”
“These programs only started accepting crypto in late 2023 and 2024, so there’s years of pent-up demand finally finding an outlet,” Volek said. “When established programs like St. Kitts & Nevis, running since 1984, start accepting cryptocurrency, that signals institutional acceptance.”
A large share of some investors’ wealth sits in tokens, and switching into fiat can be cumbersome and may bring taxes and extra charges. “For someone with substantial digital wealth, a blockchain transaction that settles in minutes versus a three-day wire transfer, there’s no comparison,” Volek said.
Governments adapt to crypto risks and regulations
There are still pitfalls, even as authorities adjust. Supervisors flag anti-money-laundering compliance and the swings in crypto prices that complicate payments. “The compliance requirements for crypto are often stricter than traditional wealth,” he said, noting that many applicants opt for stablecoins to avoid sudden swings.
Volek sees crypto staying niche as a payment rail, even if additional programs adopt it. “Within five years, I expect maybe five or more programs will offer crypto options, not a majority, but enough to serve this market globally,” he said.
He continued that the investment-migration field tends to evolve with how fortunes are built. “Twenty years ago, it was all real estate, then financial portfolios, now digital assets,” he said. “We’re positioning ourselves to serve the quarter-million crypto millionaires who need sophisticated planning for their digital wealth.”
As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, the U.K. and U.S. plan to create a joint forum to cut bureaucracy for companies tapping capital markets in both countries and to step up coordination on crypto assets. The body, called the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future, is due to report within 180 days on near-term collaboration and longer-term options, including for wholesale digital markets.
The initiative was signed off last week by U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain. Officials from both treasuries will co-chair the group, which will also include regulators from each country.
Since the 2016 Brexit referendum, London’s financial sector has worked to hold on to its European lead, while a number of companies have shifted primary listings to the United States.
To support its digital-assets ambitions, the U.K. has leaned toward the U.S. approach of supervising crypto under existing rules rather than writing new ones, in contrast to the European Union.
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