Cointelegraph | Legal reviews can save millions of fines: Irina Heaver

Legal review: UAE crypto lawyer, Irina Hevaer, explains TON’s Golden Visa incident.

Even when there is strong market enthusiasm and support from community leaders, compliance with UAE federal and local regulations is non-negotiable. The recent incident is a reminder that momentum without governance can backfire in a jurisdiction that prizes clarity, disclosure, and licensed activity.

Crypto lawyer Irina Heaver commented to Cointelegraph on why this incident unfolded and how easily it could have been avoided.

“It takes a knowledgeable crypto lawyer just 2–3 hours to review marketing materials and flag issues. That quick check can save weeks of regulatory headaches and millions in fines.”

In practice, the fix is simple: treat every press release, partnership post, or pitch deck as regulated communication. Run a legal review UAE crypto founders can trust before going live. A short pre-flight check maps your claim set against the UAE’s rulebooks – Dubai VARA’s Marketing Regulations, SCA’s finfluencer guidance, ADGM/DFSA conduct rules, and the Central Bank’s payment-token standards – so you don’t inadvertently promise outcomes, reference unlicensed services, or omit mandatory risk warnings.

Founders and funds should implement a two-step workflow. First, inventory the assets and activities mentioned in your announcement (issuance, custody, exchange, advisory, yields, stablecoins, RWAs). Second, align each statement with the appropriate licensing perimeter and disclosures. Where uncertainty remains, neutralize language, add disclaimers, and route distribution through licensed counterparties.

This approach is not bureaucracy; it is execution discipline. It preserves brand equity, protects counterparties, and accelerates regulator relationships the moment you need approvals. Most importantly, it signals to institutional partners that you operate to the same standards they do.

Before making public announcements or partnership claims, ensure your communications are checked by counsel fluent in UAE crypto regulation. A two-hour review now is cheaper than a two-year investigation later.

If you operate exchanges, wallets, RWA platforms, staking, or payments, make pre-launch legal sign-off a standard, repeatable step. On every release.