Bitcoin Mining Tycoon Fights for Private Mars Mission

Chun Wang, co-founder of Chinese Bitcoin mining pool F2Pool, is making headlines for more than just his crypto endeavors. The billionaire has purchased seats on two upcoming Starship missions with SpaceX, with one trip set to fly by Mars.

The Martian flyby is expected to be a two-year journey that will take the crew beyond the Earth-Moon system and swing past the Red Planet before returning home. No launch date has been set for either mission.

This isn't Wang's first foray into space travel. He previously funded and commanded the Fram2 mission in 2025, which was the first crewed flight to orbit directly over Earth's poles.

According to Wang, he sees his purchase as a way to put pressure on governments to prioritize sending humans to Mars. He believes that without private investment, it may take too long for governments to make this happen.