Key Takeaways:
- UAE denies offering Golden Visas to crypto investors, following claims from The Open Network (TON).
- TON proposed a $100K staking plan for 10-year visas, which was later refuted by top UAE authorities.
- Regulators warn investors to verify information, stressing that digital assets are not part of official visa eligibility frameworks.
The promise of a UAE Golden Visa through a crypto staking scheme has been firmly rejected by the country’s top regulatory bodies. A bold campaign from The Open Network (TON) claiming to provide residency through Toncoin staking drew swift backlash and clarification from UAE officials.
Read More: Crypto App Downloads Rise by 41% in UAE as Trends on Market and Politics Drive Demand
UAE Authorities: No Crypto Pathway to Golden Visa
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) have released a joint statement discrediting rumors and media reports that suggest the UAE is granting Golden Visas to crypto investors.
Their message was direct: crypto investments—no matter the size or platform—do not qualify applicants for long-term residency.
Authorities emphasized that Golden Visas are only issued under defined, legally recognized categories, such as:
- Real estate investors
- Entrepreneurs
- Scientists and researchers
- Humanitarian pioneers
- Top academic performers and frontline workers
Digital asset holders are not among the approved categories.
TON’s $100K Staking Offer Draws Global Attention
What TON Proposed
TON’s announcement, published earlier this month, outlined a high-profile offer: stake $100,000 worth of Toncoin (TON) for three years, pay a $35,000 processing fee, and receive a 10-year UAE Golden Visa, all supposedly processed within seven weeks.
The proposal claimed:
- Visa coverage would extend to spouses, children, and parents.
- The stake would remain under the investor’s control via smart contracts.
- Stakers could earn 3%–4% in annual yield on their deposited Toncoin.
TON emphasized that UAE-based partners would handle the application process, not UAE government agencies directly. But their marketing implied a form of legitimacy or government cooperation that did not exist.
Read More: TON Foundation Secures $400 Million Investment, Positioning Telegram as a Web3 Powerhouse
Regulatory Bodies Respond Swiftly
Within hours of media traction, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) published the official joint denial. VARA was particularly assertive in its response, noting that:
“TON is neither licensed nor regulated by VARA.”
The statement also warned investors to be cautious of any third-party offerings that use digital asset schemes to lure people with false immigration promises.
The SCA stressed that the UAE monetary market has enough commitment to the international best practices and that the crypto investments fall under different rules independent on the immigration policies.
Crypto Community Reacts: Speculation, Price Swings, and Doubts
Toncoin surged more than 10% to approximately $2.98 after the initial TON announcement, even though the UAE turned it down. However, prices quickly retraced to $2.80 after regulators issued their statement, according to TradingView.
Some crypto analysts viewed the announcement as a clever marketing tactic to promote TON staking rather than a genuine residency solution. Others criticized it as misleading.
“They could have used FARTCOIN instead,” joked Joe HedgeHog, a partner at Sigil Fund, on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting the visa promise was little more than a third-party gimmick exploiting TON’s brand.
Bobby Ong, co-founder of CoinGecko, observed that TON’s pitch lowered the traditional Golden Visa threshold by 80%, which may have sparked excitement from crypto “whales.”
Indeed, traditional UAE Golden Visa routes require an investment of at least $540,000 in illiquid assets, such as real estate or fixed deposits. TON’s $100,000 offer, meanwhile, seemed all the more approachable — albeit unofficial and legally void.
UAE’s Growing Role in Global Crypto
UAE as a Blockchain Hub—But with Guardrails
The TON visa brouhaha is just a symptom of a much larger truth: the UAE is striving hard to become a world champion of blockchain regulation, but it’s only going to get there on its own terms.
More than 600 crypto companies are registered in Dubai’s free zones such as the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and the Dubai International Financial Centre. These gestures provide beneficial regulations and the possibility of participating in specialized crypto licensing under VARA.
New developments also suggest how serious authorities in UAE are:
- In June 2025, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) approved Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin.
- VARA has updated guidelines to regulate real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, enabling tokenized real estate trading under clear frameworks.
Still, regulatory precision and credibility remain paramount. Any entity seeking to provide services—whether for trading, staking, or crypto-backed benefits—must register and obtain proper licenses from recognized UAE authorities.
This includes adherence to strict know-your-customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML), and consumer protection policies.
Avoiding Scams in a Fast-Moving Sector
Investor Advisory
As the crypto space continues to expand, so does the risk of misinformation and opportunistic marketing. UAE authorities were united in advising investors and residents to:
- Rely only on official government websites such as www.icp.gov.ae for immigration details.
- Avoid engaging with unverified platforms offering visa, investment, or regulatory shortcuts.
- Work exclusively with licensed digital asset service providers.
Authorities also encouraged anyone unsure about crypto or visa claims to consult directly with the ICP, SCA, or VARA.