Is it just a personal milestone—or a symbolic orbit for Web3’s future?

On August 3, Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-34 lifted off from West Texas, completing a ~10-minute suborbital flight past the Kármán line (100 km above sea level). Among the six passengers on board: TRON founder Justin Sun, who had just celebrated his 35th birthday. With this mission, Sun became the youngest Chinese commercial astronaut in history. 

A $28M Ticket, Four Years in the Making

Back in 2021, Sun bid $28 million to secure a seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed spaceflight. The proceeds were donated to the Club for the Future foundation to support global youth STEM education. Due to scheduling delays, his space journey was postponed—until now. This marks New Shepard’s 34th mission and 14th human flight. The passengers included a diverse mix of individuals from real estate, media, education, VC, and international business.

From Blockchain Pioneer to Space Traveler

Since launching TRON in 2017, Sun has worn many hats—Web3 entrepreneur, stablecoin advocate, NFT evangelist, and even a WTO ambassador for Grenada. In July 2025, he rang the opening bell at Nasdaq for Tron Inc. Now, he adds “astronaut” to that growing list.

A PR Stunt, or a New Chapter in Web3 Storytelling?

After landing, Sun shared: “I waited four years for this moment. Looking down at Earth from space—it felt so small. But that’s our only home. We must do everything we can to protect it.” Some see it as a bold Web3 narrative leap. Others call it a personal PR stunt. Either way, it’s a rare moment where blockchain meets space, pushing the boundaries of what the crypto space can aspire to—both literally and symbolically. Web3 isn't just about going “on-chain”—maybe it's time to think “off-planet” too.

Who do you think will be the next crypto figure to take off—literally?