Bitcoin Mining Tycoon Chun Wang Will Command SpaceX's First Crewed Mars Flyby

Chun Wang, the Chinese-born F2Pool co-founder who made his fortune in Bitcoin (BTC) mining, has agreed to command SpaceX's first crewed flyby of Mars.

Chun Wang Buys Mars Flyby

Wang said he has purchased seats on two upcoming Starship missions, a development first reported by industry outlets after a SpaceX livestream. The company confirmed the two-year voyage will travel beyond the Earth-Moon system, swing past Mars, and return home.

No launch date has been set for either trip.

Before the interplanetary attempt, Wang will join a weeklong commercial flight around the Moon. He is expected to fly alongside Dennis and Akiko Tito, passing roughly 125 miles above the lunar surface.

Wang is no stranger to spaceflight. He funded and commanded the Fram2 mission in 2025, the first crewed flight to orbit directly over Earth's poles.

Crypto Wealth Funds Space

Wang framed the purchase as a way to keep Mars on SpaceX's agenda. He argued that government competition will get humans to the Moon regardless, but said he has little confidence Mars will happen within his lifetime without private pressure.

Analysts see the move as part of a wider pattern. Early crypto founders have steadily redirected capital into adjacent fields such as artificial intelligence, energy and aerospace, a shift the deal illustrates without tying F2Pool to SpaceX operations.