UAE Launches 10-Year Golden Visa For $135K Crypto Stake
The UAE just became the first country to offer a Golden Visa directly through crypto staking.
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This Is The First
You can now buy a 10-year visa to live in the UAE.
Not with real estate. Not by starting a business. Just by staking crypto. The country has partnered with Toncoin to offer long-term residency to anyone who locks up $100,000 in TON and pays a one-time $35,000 fee.
Toncoin was originally built by Telegram, the messaging app created by Pavel Durov. In 2020, Telegram stepped away from the project after pressure from U.S. regulators. Since then, Toncoin has been run by an independent group called the “TON Foundation”.
Durov no longer manages it, but he has publicly supported its growth. The project still benefits from Telegram’s reach, especially as it expands into payments and digital identity.
How It Works
The process is simple.
You lock 100,000 dollars worth of Toncoin in a smart contract for three years. You also pay a 35,000 dollar fee to cover government processing and support. Once both are confirmed, you receive a formal application link to start your Golden Visa process.
The visa is issued by the UAE government and includes long-term residency for you and your family. You keep ownership of your TON. After three years, your stake is released. During the three-year staking period, your Toncoin earns a yield. Right now, that yield is estimated at around 3 to 4 percent per year.
That means your 100,000 dollar stake could generate between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars annually. Over three years, that adds up to 9,000 to 12,000 dollars. This does not fully offset the 35,000 dollar fee, but it lowers the effective cost of the program.
The entire system runs on-chain, with clear steps and no middlemen.
Is TON a Risky Asset?
Every asset has risk.
And anyone who says they know exactly how much is full of sh*t. Toncoin is a volatile token. Its price goes up and down with the crypto market, the foundations decisions, and investor hype. If the price drops while your stake is locked, you take that hit. There is no guarantee you will get your full 100,000 dollars back in three years. You might get more. You might get less.
It’s crypto. You are betting on the future of TON and the belief that the visa, the yield, and the access are worth it.
What You Get
The UAE Golden Visa gives you the right to live in the country for 10 years, with the option to renew. You can open a bank account, sign long-term rental contracts, and register utilities in your name. You can come and go as you like, without having to worry about visa runs or overstays.
Your immediate family is also covered. That includes your spouse, children, and even your parents. Everyone on the visa gets the same rights to live in the UAE. Not a bad deal.
You also gain access to a stable, tax-friendly country with strong infrastructure, easy flights, and a growing crypto ecosystem.
Read more about Golden Visas here
Why It Matters
This is the first time a government has tied long-term residency to crypto staking.
Not real estate. Not employment. Just digital assets locked on-chain.
The UAE has already been ahead of the curve when it comes to crypto regulation. But this move pushes things further. It gives people a way to secure rights and mobility without relying on traditional systems (which I personally love).
The market responded fast. Toncoin jumped around 10 percent within hours of the announcement. Telegram groups lit up. Visa-for-token posts started spreading.
This is for people who want options, such as remote workers, founders, crypto holders, and anyone tired of visa limits. If you already hold Toncoin, this gives you a way to turn it into something real. If you don’t, it is still a rare chance to get long-term residency without showing income or buying property.
It is also for those who believe in the bigger shift from legacy systems to digital ones.
Who would have thought 5 or 10 years ago that you could buy a Golden Visa with a crypto stake?
Residency has always been tied to the old world. Land, jobs, paperwork, waiting rooms. This changes that. The idea that you can lock up tokens and receive a government-issued visa is a great shift.
Yeah, it is not cheap. And it comes with risk. But it shows where things are going. Borders are becoming softer. And countries are starting to compete for individuals who can move fast, think globally, and bring digital assets with them.
Would I Stake TON for This?
I’m not sure yet.
On one hand, the idea of getting residency without bureaucracy is appealing. I like the simplicity. And I like to be one of the first people to walk a new residency path / option (the last one was Palau).
But to be honest, I don’t love the idea of locking up 100,000 dollars in a volatile asset for three years. Even with the yield, it’s a bet.
So for now, I’m watching closely.
If this structure holds, and other countries start to follow, it could become one of the cleanest ways to buy time and mobility.
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