Toncoin Offers 10Y UAE Golden Visa for $100K in Staked TON

The TON Foundation, a blockchain project tied to Telegram, launched a program granting 10-year UAE Golden Visas to those who stake $100,000 in Toncoin and pay a $35,000 fee. Announced Saturday, the offer bypasses traditional routes like real estate or job sponsorships, which typically cost over $500,000.

Applicants don’t need specific credentials, and the process promises approval within seven weeks through the UAE-based partner Peravel. “There is no requirement to hold a specific profession, degree, or job offer,” said Peravel CEO Ehsan Sattari.

Staked TON remains under user control via smart contract, with an estimated 3-4% annual yield during the three-year lock-up. Family members (including spouses, children, and parents) are also eligible under the same visa, making it a great gateway into one of the countries with the lowest crypto taxes.

Toncoin surged over 8% following the reveal, and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov amplified the news on his channel. The UAE government hasn’t issued an official endorsement, though TON claims compliance with existing visa frameworks.

Satoshi-Era Bitcoin Dormant Wallets Transfer $8 Billion

Two long-dormant wallets each holding 10,000 BTC were activated early Friday, moving over $2.2 billion to modern addresses for the first time in 14 years. These wallets, originally funded in April and May 2011 when BTC was under $4, are linked to the same entity via onchain data. Six additional wallets from the “Satoshi era” also moved funds, bringing the total to more than 80,000 BTC in the largest transfer of its kind.

The Bitcoins now sit untouched in newly created wallets, using a more efficient address format suited for lower transaction fees. Their movement has stirred speculation across trading desks, as such coins are rarely touched due to their provenance. Analysts warn that any large-scale sell-off from these wallets could trigger volatility or decrease market confidence.

Secret Service Seizes $400M in Crypto Scam Crackdown

The US Secret Service’s cybercrime unit has recovered nearly $400 million in digital assets by tracking fraud and scam operations worldwide. Led by investigator Kali Smith, the agency’s Global Investigative Operations Center has trained law enforcement in over 60 countries. Recent operations include arrests tied to sextortion and investment scams, with agents leveraging blockchain analysis and domain tracing.

Much of the seized crypto sits in a single cold-storage wallet, including a record $225 million recovered from a Tether-linked romance scheme. The team collaborates closely with exchanges like Coinbase to freeze wallets and trace illicit flows. Officials say financial crimes now dominate US internet losses, especially among older victims targeted through deceptive investment platforms.

World Liberty Proposes Vote on WLFI Token Tradability

World Liberty Financial published a proposal on Thursday to allow its WLFI token to trade freely across exchanges and peer-to-peer markets. The initiative aims to unlock early supporter allocations and transition the protocol toward a more decentralized model. Community members will vote on the measure, which is central to the project’s open-participation roadmap.

The plan includes a multi-phase unlock schedule, with founder tokens locked longer to align with long-term governance. Tradability would expand the pool of eligible voters on decisions like emissions and treasury usage. If passed, this would "bring World Liberty one step closer to building a more open, transparent, and powerful financial system," according to the project's team.

Data of the Day

Bitcoin’s price volatility has dropped to its lowest point since October 2023, alongside a sharp decline in monthly transaction counts. Analysts point to minimal retail involvement and slower mempool activity, with many blocks filled by aged, low-fee transactions. Despite the onchain lull, institutional demand through ETFs continues to rise.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US now hold nearly $138 billion, with over $1 billion in net inflows just last week. Companies purchased 65,000 BTC in June alone, signaling strong conviction from large investors. Analysts suggest the current trend reflects growing institutional control over Bitcoin markets amid falling short-term speculation.

More Breaking News

• Hacker stole $140 million from Brazilian banks after paying just $2,760 for insider access, laundering much of the money through Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether.
• Kraken is offering prizes to users who help name its new Ink Layer 2 mascot via the onchain contest platform JokeRace, encouraging community engagement.
• Turkey’s financial regulator has blocked access to PancakeSwap and 45 other crypto websites, escalating its crackdown on platforms operating without formal local authorization.
• Ondo Finance plans to acquire US-licensed broker Oasis Pro, securing regulatory approval to expand into tokenized securities and serve American investors more directly.
• Drake compared fake friends to Bitcoin’s wild price swings in his latest track, continuing his long-running public involvement with cryptocurrency culture and sponsorships.
• FTX’s bankruptcy estate asked the court to freeze payouts in 49 countries with restrictive crypto laws to avoid potential penalties or legal uncertainty.
• A Belgian court sentenced three men to 12 years for kidnapping a crypto investor’s wife, awarding over $1.2 million in damages to the victims.
• Polymarket now place just a 22% chance on a 2025 US recession, citing cooling trade tensions and easing macroeconomic pressure.
• Chinese firms JD and Ant Group are pushing Beijing to authorize yuan-pegged stablecoins in Hong Kong as the country’s global payments ambitions grow.

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