Crypto’s Golden Visa Fantasy Goes Up in Flames

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It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a crypto project in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a dubious visa scheme 🤑. And so, it was with TON‘s staking-for-visa proposition, which was torpedoed by UAE regulators with three simple words: “no formal approval” 🚫.

The TON Foundation, in a desperate attempt to salvage what was left of their dignity, claimed they were merely “testing the waters” 🌟. But critics saw it for what it was: another case of crypto jumping the gun and making promises they couldn’t keep 🤦‍♂️.

The controversy began on July 5, when a since-deleted X post claimed that staking $100,000 worth of Toncoin (TON) could fast-track applicants to a 10-year UAE residency 🏖️. It was a pitch that quickly caught fire across crypto circles, even drawing cautious interest from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao 🤑.

But by July 6, regulators from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the Securities and Commodities Authority, and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority had publicly shut down the idea, emphasizing that no such program exists 🚫.

“To clarify, no official Golden Visa program has launched in partnership with the government of the United Arab Emirates, nor has any governmental endorsement been granted to TON,” the foundation wrote 📝.

The TON Foundation’s attempt to distance itself from the unauthorized golden visa announcement raised more questions than it answered 🤔. While the foundation called the initiative “exploratory,” that explanation raised eyebrows, especially when it cited working with a mystery “licensed partner” in blockchain infrastructure 🕵️‍♂️.

They never named names or explained how this would actually meet the UAE’s notoriously strict crypto regulations 🤷‍♂️ – pretty big questions to leave unanswered 🤦‍♂️.

In its July 7 statement, the TON Foundation stressed the initiative was in “early stages” and would comply with all laws 📚 – a tacit admission it had jumped the gun 🤦‍♂️. The pledge to communicate more “transparently” going forward rang hollow to critics, who noted how crypto projects increasingly push into real-world territory with premature or false claims, often without securing regulatory buy-in 🚫.

One of the most high-profile skeptics was Binance founder Changpeng Zhao 🤑. Based in the UAE himself, CZ briefly entertained the idea when it first surfaced, suggesting BNB Chain could explore a similar route if it proved legitimate 🤔.

this is real, bnb should do the same 🤑

— Rich (chill/acc) (@iwantlamboape) July 6, 2025

But within 24 hours of calling the rumored visa program “awesome,” CZ dismissed it as “aggressive and misleading marketing” 🚫 – a stark reminder that even industry leaders can mistake hype for substance 🤦‍♂️.

FWIW. If this article is true (common sense says it is), then it’s just aggressive/misleading marketing. DYOR 🤓.

You can pay $1k (in most major cryptos) to an agent to submit an application for a golden visa. No guarantees, but if you are worth your salt, there is a high chance… 🤑

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) July 7, 2025

Whether TON’s misstep will spur meaningful change in how the industry vets and announces collaborations remains to be seen 🔮. But for now, the golden visa fantasy has turned to lead 💔.

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2025-07-07 20:29