On the evening of August 3, 2025, Sun Yuchen, founder of TRON, successfully completed a suborbital space flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft. This marks his official status as the youngest Chinese commercial astronaut in history, writing a historic chapter for the Chinese in the commercial space sector.
As early as 2021, Sun Yuchen successfully bid for a seat on the first crewed flight of New Shepard for $28 million and donated all the bidding funds to Blue Origin's Club for the Future to support STEM education for global youth. He reserved this seat until now, waiting for a more symbolic moment to fulfill his dream of flying.
After the flight, Sun Yuchen stated, "I waited four years for this flight. But we finally made it happen. I am very grateful to Mr. Bezos and his team for making this possible. Thank you to my parents for bringing me into this world. When I looked at Earth from space, it really seemed very small—yet that is our home. We must do everything we can to protect it. This is my first commitment and first step towards space, and there will be more in the future."
With the successful completion of this mission, Sun Yuchen not only became the youngest Chinese astronaut but also responded to the concept of 'technology for good, exploration without limits' through his actions, setting an example of adventurous and innovative spirit for global youth.
Chinese entrepreneur completes his dream journey to space
The spacecraft used by Blue Origin consists of a booster and a crew capsule. After the rocket booster sends the capsule to an altitude of about 75 kilometers, it will separate from the capsule; the capsule then continues to ascend until it surpasses the Kármán line at 100 kilometers. Passengers inside will experience about 4 minutes of weightlessness; then they will slowly descend to the ground, with the entire journey lasting about 10 minutes.
This design ensures both the safety of the flight and maximizes the passengers' experience in space. So far, more than 70 people have realized their space dreams through Blue Origin's space journey.
Sun Yuchen's journey to space is the peak embodiment of his adventurous spirit. From founding TRON to promoting blockchain technology innovation, he has consistently challenged the unknown with fearless courage and unwaveringly pursued his dreams.
As one of China's most well-known entrepreneurs born in the 1990s, Sun Yuchen has not only created a global influence for TRON in the blockchain field but has also earned a worldwide reputation for the Chinese community through this space endeavor. From becoming the youngest Chinese entrepreneur to go to space to promoting TRON as a blockchain platform with over 300 million global users, he has demonstrated the wisdom and responsibility of the Chinese people through action, adding brilliant luster to the image of Chinese people on the global technology stage.
Whether through TRON's decentralized financial innovations or the $28 million bid donation to support cutting-edge technology education, Sun Yuchen has always stood at the forefront of technology and dreams, daring to try and leading change.
From blockchain to interstellar, Sun Yuchen becomes the first once again
As the founder of TRON, Sun Yuchen has created multiple milestones in the blockchain field. As of now, TRON's global users have surpassed 320 million, the on-chain USDT issuance has reached 82.6 billion, daily active addresses are over 3 million, and the total settlement amount of on-chain stablecoins is expected to exceed Visa this year, becoming a pillar of the global stablecoin ecosystem and the most important infrastructure for the new payment system.
This space flight also highlights the vigorous development of commercial space travel. Blue Origin has successfully executed over ten crewed flights, sending more than 70 people to the edge of space. Sun Yuchen's participation further proves that commercial space travel is transforming from a dream of a few into a reality that benefits many. He also linked this space journey to youth STEM education, providing valuable opportunities for global youth to learn science and technology, showcasing his profound concern for the future of humanity.
"Space exploration is a common mission for all humanity," said Sun Yuchen. "I hope to inspire more young people to engage in technology and innovation through this flight, together shaping the interstellar future of humanity."
From completing a remarkable turnaround to enter Peking University, to creating one of the world's most influential blockchain platforms, and then embarking on a space journey, he has proven the wisdom and responsibility of the Chinese people with his fearless adventurous spirit and unwavering belief in pursuing dreams, also inspiring global entrepreneurs to break boundaries and pursue excellence.
