TON’s staking-for-visa claim rejected by UAE in rare joint statement

Three words from UAE regulators—“no formal approval”—torpedoed TON’s viral staking-for-visa proposition. The foundation insists it was merely testing the waters, but critics see another case of crypto jumping the gun.

On July 7, the TON Foundation scrambled to clarify its role in an unauthorized golden visa initiative after UAE authorities issued a rare joint statement disavowing any involvement.

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, a pitch that quickly caught fire across crypto circles, even drawing cautious interest from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.

By July 6, however, 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.

Behind TON’s retreat: what the foundation what TON said—and what it didn’t

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.

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.

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.