Toncoin (TON) shot up 12% after the UAE announced a crazy new golden visa program that lets you stake $100,000 worth of TON tokens for a 10-year residency visa.
TON Price Rockets From $2.75 to $3.08 in Hours
The crypto world went nuts on Saturday when news broke about Toncoin's partnership with the UAE. We're talking about a massive price jump that took TON from under $2.75 straight up to nearly $3.08 - that's a solid 12% gain in just a few hours. This was the biggest hourly candle TON has seen in weeks, and it completely flipped the script on what looked like a pretty ugly downtrend.
The timing couldn't have been better for TON holders who were getting worried about the recent price action. This surge pushed the token back toward some key resistance levels that traders had been watching closely. The market clearly loved this news, and you could see it in the charts immediately after the official announcement dropped.
Here's How the TON Golden Visa Thing Actually Works
So here's the deal with this UAE program - it's pretty wild when you break it down. You need to lock up $100,000 worth of TON tokens for three years, and boom, you're eligible for a 10-year UAE golden visa. But here's the kicker - you don't actually send your crypto anywhere. It stays right in your wallet the whole time.
The way it works is through a smart contract on TON's blockchain. Your tokens get staked, but you're still in control. No third parties touching your money, no sketchy custody situations. Plus, while your TON is locked up, you're earning 3-4% annually. So you're basically getting paid to hold your visa application together.
The visa covers your whole family too - spouse, kids, even your parents. And the only extra cost is the standard $35,000 UAE application fee. That's it. No hidden charges, no surprise fees down the road.

Why This Could Be Huge for TON
This isn't just another crypto partnership announcement that sounds good on paper. We're talking about real utility here - people can actually use their TON holdings to get something valuable in the real world. The UAE processes these applications in under seven weeks, which is lightning fast compared to most immigration programs.
What makes this really interesting is how it plays into the whole self-custody thing that crypto people care about. You're not giving up control of your tokens to get the visa. Everything runs through decentralized smart contracts, which is exactly how crypto is supposed to work.
With Telegram's massive user base and TON's growing ecosystem, this could open doors for similar deals with other countries. If this works out well, don't be surprised if we see more governments getting creative with crypto-based immigration programs. TON just got a serious head start in this space, and that first-mover advantage could pay off big time as more people look for ways to use their crypto for real-world benefits.