Here’s what happened in crypto today
Today in crypto, TON launches UAE Golden Visa program requiring just $100,000 in staked TON, Arkham says the recent $8.6 billion Bitcoin whale transfer doesn’t look like it is being sold off. Meanwhile, musical artist Drake mentions BTC in new song. TON offers 10-year UAE golden visa for $100K in staked ToncoinThe Open Network (TON), the blockchain platform spun out of Telegram, has unveiled a new pathway to UAE residency, offering 10-year Golden Visas to applicants who stake $100,000 worth of Toncoin (TON) for three years and pay a one-time $35,000 processing fee.“Secure your Golden Visa in under 7 weeks from document submission to the Visa Office,” TON announced Saturday, detailing that its UAE-based partners will manage the visa processing and residency status confirmation.Applicants retain control of their assets during the staking period through a decentralized smart contract verifiable on the TON blockchain. Furthermore, the program promises estimated annual yields of 3% to 4% on staked assets, adding an incentive for crypto investors.The Golden Visa extends coverage to immediate family members, including spouses, children, and parents, at no additional cost beyond standard government fees.$8.6B Bitcoin whale transfer shows no signs of sell-off: ArkhamBlockchain intelligence firm Arkham says the recent $8.6 billion in Bitcoin that was moved on Thursday for the first time in over 14 years doesn’t appear to be heading for a sell-off.“There are no indications that this whale is selling Bitcoin,” Arkham said in an X post on Friday. Arkham firm added that the eight transfers — which moved 10,000 Bitcoin at a time from eight wallets that were untouched for over 14 years — may be possibly due to the owner upgrading from the original legacy wallet to a Native SegWit address, which are said to have improved security and lower fees.“Yesterday’s $8 billion transfers were possibly related to address upgrades, moving from 1-addresses to bc1q-addresses,” Arkham said.Drake drops Bitcoin reference in new songMusical artist Drake mentioned Bitcoin in his latest song "What Did I Miss?" The song was released on Saturday and is already drawing attention from Bitcoiners on social media.Drake previously bet $1 million in BTC on the outcome of the 2022 Super Bowl; the championship game of the American contact sport. The specific verse from the song goes:"I look at this shit like a BTC, could be down this week, then I'm up next week. I don't give a fuck if you love me. I don't give a fuck if you like me. Askin' me 'How did it feel?' Can't say it didn't surprise me."Pop culture references to Bitcoin indicate that the digital asset is gradually shifting from a niche phenomenon into the mainstream.