UAE Regulators Dismiss Crypto-Backed Golden Visa Claim
Three federal watchdogs have jointly rejected social-media posts claiming that investors in digital currencies can secure the United Arab Emirates’ coveted Golden Visa by staking Toncoin.
In a statement carried by the state-run Emirates News Agency, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) said no digital-asset pathway exists for the 10-year residency permit.
Telegram-linked project The Open Network (TON) had promoted what it called a “staking for residency” offer over the weekend, telling users that locking US $100,000 worth of Toncoin for three years plus a US $35,000 fee would deliver a family-sized Golden Visa in about seven weeks. The marketing push triggered a brief rally in Toncoin, but also alarmed immigration lawyers and prompted regulators to intervene.
“Golden Visas are issued according to officially approved frameworks and criteria, which do not include digital-currency investors,” the regulators said in their joint communiqué.
What actually qualifies
Current Golden Visa categories cover real-estate investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, exceptional talents, top graduates, humanitarian leaders and frontline workers. Digital-asset holdings are not on that list, the authorities emphasised.
ICP added that residency decisions sit inside a “regulated framework” and warned applicants to ignore unverified offers circulating online. The SCA echoed that point, stressing that while virtual assets are regulated for trading, they are “unrelated to Golden Visa eligibility.”
VARA went further, stating that TON “is neither licensed nor regulated” in Dubai and advising the public to deal only with authorised firms when engaging in crypto activity.
Market reaction
Toncoin jumped 10 percent to US $3.03 on Sunday after TON’s announcement, then retreated to US $2.84, a six-percent slide, once the regulators’ statement hit the wires.
Former Binance chief Changpeng “CZ” Zhao criticised the promotion as “aggressive / misleading marketing,” adding on X that paying an agent “$1k in most major cryptos” only gets an application filed, never a guarantee.
Why the rumour spread
Dubai’s pro-business reputation and the UAE’s explicit drive to attract blockchain firms have made the country a magnet for crypto entrepreneurs. Industry insiders say that mix makes visa rumours hard to extinguish, especially when token projects pitch residency as a utility. Yet the Golden Visa law has not changed since 2022, and any adjustment would require cabinet approval and public notification, the steps that have not occurred.
Until the Cabinet adds digital-asset criteria to the official rule-book, staking coins like Toncoin or any other and will not open the Golden Visa door. Investors hoping to move to the Emirates still need to meet the established thresholds in property, business or specialised talent, and should verify every offer through government channels before sending funds or personal data.
