Bitcoin Mining Tycoon Commands SpaceX's First Crewed Mars Flyby

Chun Wang, co-founder of F2Pool and Bitcoin mining tycoon, is set to command SpaceX's first crewed flyby of Mars. Wang has purchased seats on two upcoming Starship missions, which will travel beyond the Earth-Moon system, swing past Mars, and return home.

The two-year voyage has not yet received a launch date. Before embarking on this interplanetary journey, Wang will join a weeklong commercial flight around the Moon with Dennis and Akiko Tito, passing about 125 miles above the lunar surface.

This is not Wang's first foray into spaceflight; he previously funded and commanded the Fram2 mission in 2025, which was the first crewed flight to orbit directly over Earth's poles.