TON Foundation’s UAE Golden Visa Announcement Sparks Strong Rally and Market Debate
The TON Foundation recently unveiled a novel initiative that has sent ripples through the cryptocurrency market, particularly impacting the price of toncoin (TON). On July 6, 2025, the foundation announced a UAE Golden Visa program that ties residency opportunities in the United Arab Emirates to staking toncoin and paying a processing fee. This announcement triggered a notable surge in TON’s market value, igniting excitement and skepticism within the crypto community.
The UAE Golden Visa Program Details
According to the TON Foundation’s CEO Max Crown, this “groundbreaking initiative” offers TON holders an exclusive chance to obtain a 10-year UAE Golden Visa. The program stipulates that applicants must stake $100,000 worth of toncoin for a three-year period and pay an additional one-time processing fee of $35,000. During this staking period, applicants are projected to earn an estimated annual percentage yield (APY) of 3–4% on their locked tokens.
Key highlights promoted by the foundation include:
- Fast Approval: Visa processing purportedly takes about seven weeks from document submission.
- Family Inclusion: The visa covers immediate family members — spouse, children, and parents — without additional fees beyond standard government costs.
- Capital Efficiency: Unlike typical UAE residency routes that require real estate investments or fixed deposits often exceeding $540,000, this program offers a digital, capital-efficient alternative.
- Blockchain Transparency: Staking and visa processes are executed through decentralized smart contracts on the TON blockchain, purportedly enhancing security and transparency.
The TON Foundation positions this program as a simpler, more affordable, and faster pathway to UAE residency that aligns with the country’s aspirations to become a global hub for cryptocurrency and Web3 innovation.
Market Reaction: Surge Following the Announcement
The effect on TON’s market price was immediate. Following the news release, toncoin’s price jumped approximately 12%, hitting an intraday peak of $3.06 before settling near $2.89 by the end of trading sessions on July 6. CoinDesk Research noted that 24-hour trading volume soared to over 250% above the 30-day average, highlighting heightened activity and investor interest.
Technical analysis revealed a surge from around $2.75 to a peak at $3.06, representing a 12.4% gain. High-volume buying established new support levels between $2.86 and $2.89, with resistance observed near $3.03, suggesting a potentially new trading range for toncoin.
Divergent Views in the Crypto Community
The announcement sparked a mixture of optimism and caution among industry leaders and investors:
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Supportive Perspective: Bobby Ong, CoinGecko’s co-founder and COO, commended the initiative as an inspiring story that could attract large investors (“whales”) and provide robust buy-side momentum for TON.
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Critical Perspectives: Joe HedgedHog of Sigil Fund stressed the absence of official UAE government endorsement, describing the program as facilitated by a third-party legal firm that employs TON staking as a convenience or token utility mechanism rather than a government requirement. Similarly, ivangbi from Gearbox Protocol suggested the initiative may be more promotional in nature, with the standard $35,000 nonrefundable processing fee going to legal representatives rather than governmental bodies. He also noted that the staked TON balance might not be an official criterion under updated UAE visa regulations.
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Industry Caution: Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binance’s co-founder, expressed measured interest but raised concerns about conflicting information regarding the program’s validity. He pointed to regulatory classification challenges around staking activities in the UAE and cited that official UAE Golden Visa qualifications do not currently include cryptocurrency holdings such as TON. CZ emphasized the importance of “trust but verify,” urging confirmation through official government communication and documentation before drawing conclusions.
Government Clarification and Official Stance
On July 7, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) published a joint statement from three federal bodies — the UAE’s Identity and Port Security Authority, Securities and Commodities Authority, and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. The agencies categorically denied claims circulating online that the UAE issues Golden Visas based on digital currency investments. They affirmed that Golden Visa issuance strictly follows official, pre-approved criteria which do not include cryptocurrency holdings.
Understanding the UAE Entrepreneur Visa
The TON Foundation’s approach aligns broadly with the UAE’s entrepreneur visa category intended for owners of technical or innovative economic projects. This visa requires:
- Approval letters from accredited UAE auditors confirming a project valuation of at least 500,000 AED.
- Validation from local authorities recognizing the project’s innovative nature.
- Support from an accredited UAE business incubator to establish the proposed activity domestically.
Whether staking toncoin fulfills these complex legal and regulatory requirements remains unclear pending further official confirmation.
Conclusion
The TON Foundation’s announcement outlining a UAE Golden Visa program tied to toncoin staking has undeniably stirred market enthusiasm and raised toncoin’s price significantly. However, the absence of formal government endorsement and mixed reactions from crypto sector experts underscore the need for caution and further due diligence.
As the situation unfolds, investors and toncoin holders are advised to monitor regulatory developments and official UAE communications closely before fully embracing the program’s purported benefits.
This article includes AI-assisted contributions reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and compliance with CoinDesk’s standards.
Author: Siamak Masnavi, Blockchain Technology Researcher and Crypto Markets Analyst
Edited by: Aoyon Ashraf
Published: July 6, 2025
Updated: July 7, 2025