Recently, Max Crown, CEO of the TON Foundation, claimed that individuals can receive a 10-year UAE Golden Visa by staking TON.

Shortly after, official UAE authorities publicly denied this claim, and the TON Foundation clarified on its blog that the initiative is a collaboration with a private partner—not with UAE government entities.

As active builders in the TON ecosystem, we at Hipo believe this kind of misleading communication is unacceptable.

We feel a responsibility to speak up. If TON aims to become a truly community-driven ecosystem, we must prevent actions that mislead the public—especially when there's no accountability—as they undermine the trust and credibility we are all working hard to build.

We believe that transparency, honesty, and accountability are essential—especially from those in leadership positions. Misleading statements harm users, damage the ecosystem’s reputation, and put the entire community at risk.

We call on Max Crown and other key leaders to act responsibly, acknowledge the mistake, and publicly take accountability rather than ignore it or shift the narrative.

If TON is to thrive, we must all uphold higher standards—and that includes being honest when mistakes are made.

Hipo Team