TON’s Golden Visa Plan Sparks Price Rally and Fierce Debate Over Legitimacy

The TON Foundation has unveiled a new pathway for crypto holders to secure long-term residency in the United Arab Emirates—but the ambitious plan has divided the crypto community, with some hailing it as innovative and others warning it might be misleading.

On July 6, Max Crown, CEO of the TON Foundation, announced on X (formerly Twitter) a “groundbreaking initiative” offering Toncoin (TON) holders the chance to obtain a 10-year UAE Golden Visa.

Under the program’s terms, applicants must stake $100,000 worth of Toncoin for three years and pay a $35,000 one-time processing fee. Once the three-year lockup period ends, participants can reportedly unlock their staked funds and, in the meantime, earn an estimated 3–4% annual percentage yield (APY) on their tokens.

The TON Foundation’s website promotes several benefits, including fast approval—within seven weeks of submitting documents—a simplified application process that avoids requirements like real estate purchases or income minimums, and the ability to include family members (spouse, children, and parents) at no extra cost beyond standard government fees. Staking is carried out via decentralized smart contracts on the TON blockchain, which the Foundation says ensures transparency and security.

TON’s program positions itself as a cost-effective alternative to traditional UAE Golden Visa routes, which usually demand at least $540,000 invested in property or fixed deposits—often tied to less liquid assets and longer processing times. The Foundation frames the offering as a quicker, more affordable, and digitally native route to residency, aligned with the UAE’s ambitions to become a global hub for crypto and Web3 innovation.

Market Reacts as Toncoin Price Surges

The announcement had an immediate impact on TON’s price. Shortly after the news broke, Toncoin jumped by 12%, peaking at around $3.06. At the time of writing, it trades near $2.8944, up 5.36% over the past 24 hours. Trading activity has soared as well, with 24-hour average volume running about 251.54% above the 30-day average, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis.

Praise and Skepticism Emerge

While the initiative has generated excitement, it has also sparked controversy.

Bobby Ong, co-founder and COO of CoinGecko, called the project an “amazing story,” suggesting it could attract large investors (“whales”) and drive buy-side demand for Toncoin. However, he also cautioned that he hopes it’s not simply a short-lived scheme.

On the other hand, Joe HedgedHog (@JoeHedgedHog), an investment partner at Sigil Fund, highlighted that the program is not an official UAE government partnership. Instead, he described it as a service offered by a third-party legal firm using TON staking as a mechanism to support Golden Visa applications under the entrepreneur visa category. He emphasized that any crypto could technically have been used and described the staking component as more of a “token utility sink” than a true government mandate.

Further skepticism came from ivangbi (@ivangbi_), Head of Strategy & Business Development at Gearbox Protocol, who labeled the announcement misleading. He explained that the $35,000 fee goes to a legal firm, which then attempts to submit visa applications to the UAE government. Ultimately, government authorities decide whether applications are approved. He noted that the TON staking balance is just one among multiple criteria—and might not even be necessary under revised rules. He warned that the lack of blanket government approval leaves outcomes uncertain, suggesting the initiative could be more of a marketing strategy than a guaranteed path to residency.

Even Changpeng Zhao (CZ), co-founder and former CEO of Binance, expressed cautious interest but flagged significant unknowns. He raised concerns that the $35,000 fee appears to be routed to a legal intermediary rather than the UAE government and suggested that the TON website’s language could wrongly imply a guaranteed visa in exchange for staking Toncoin.

CZ also pointed out that UAE regulators treat staking as a regulated financial activity, and the TON Foundation may lack the required licenses to operate such a program legally. Importantly, official UAE government resources do not list Toncoin staking as a valid qualification for a Golden Visa, instead specifying standard visa categories.

In a follow-up, CZ urged the community to “trust but verify,” recognizing the potential benefits of the concept but insisting that clear, official partnerships and statements are vital for legitimacy. To date, no such government confirmations have been issued regarding TON’s program.

How the UAE Entrepreneur Visa Works

The entrepreneur visa route in the UAE—seemingly the basis for the TON initiative—is designed for individuals running technically innovative projects. Applicants must secure letters from an accredited UAE auditor verifying that the business is worth at least 500,000 AED, endorsements from local authorities attesting to the project’s innovative character, and support from a recognized UAE business incubator.

Technical Analysis Snapshot

• Price Range: TON climbed from $2.75 to a peak of $3.06, spanning a $0.34 (12.4%) gain.
• Initial Rally: Began around 7:00 on July 6, driven by a spike in volume to nearly 13 million tokens.
• Major Surge: An extraordinary 57.5 million token volume burst occurred at 8:00, pushing TON to its high.
• Support Zone: Strong buying interest has formed between $2.86 and $2.89.
• Resistance Zone: Selling pressure appears around $3.03, suggesting a new trading range is emerging.
• Short-Term Surge: Between 15:12 and 16:11 on July 6, TON rose 2.4%.
• Breakout Move: A dramatic jump happened at 15:48, when trading volume surged to 1.68 million tokens. TON briefly hit $2.93 at 15:50 before settling around new support levels near $2.90–$2.91.

As the debate continues, TON’s ambitious Golden Visa plan remains both a bold move in crypto innovation—and a lightning rod for skepticism until official UAE backing is confirmed.