Bitcoin Mining Tycoon Seals Deal for Historic Mars Flyby with SpaceX
Chun Wang, co-founder of Chinese Bitcoin mining pool F2Pool, has purchased seats on two upcoming SpaceX Starship missions. The crewed flyby of Mars will be a historic journey for human spaceflight. Wang, who made his fortune in Bitcoin mining, hopes to bring attention to the possibility of humans reaching and surviving on Mars.
Wang's purchase is not just a personal endeavor; it's also seen as an effort to keep Mars on SpaceX's agenda. He believes that government competition will drive humans to the Moon, but without private pressure, Mars may be left behind. This move illustrates the trend of early crypto founders investing in adjacent fields such as space exploration.
Wang is no stranger to spaceflight; he funded and commanded the Fram2 mission in 2025, which orbited directly over Earth's poles. Before embarking on the interplanetary journey, he will join a weeklong commercial flight around the Moon with Dennis and Akiko Tito.