Justin Sun: Traffic, controversy, and liberalism

Author: Tian Daxia (@Web3Donny)

Two months ago, Justin Sun just celebrated his 34th birthday.

Before he was 30, his halo came from a long list of dazzling titles: Peking University, cover figure of Asia Weekly, graduate of Ivy League School (University of Pennsylvania), Global Outstanding Youth of Davos Forum, the first batch of the only post-90s student of Jack Ma Lakeside University...

He started his own business while studying abroad at the age of 22. At the age of 24, he returned to China as the chief representative of Ripple Labs Greater China and founded Ripple and served as CEO. At the age of 25, he was named "China's Internet Newcomer of the Year" by CNTV. At the age of 27, he founded the blockchain platform TRON. In the same year, he was selected into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. At the age of 29, he took a lunch with Buffett...

However, along with his dazzling achievements, he has also been in the whirlpool of public opinion. The media and industry insiders have raised many controversies about his bold business methods, frequent self-marketing and the compliance of his projects. Some people praised him for being the first, while others criticized him for being too ostentatious. However, he does not seem to care about these evaluations from the outside world, whether they are praise or criticism.

You will find that every controversy and every news headline has become part of his personal branding.

Nine years ago, in 2015, in an interview with a reporter from The Paper, the reporter wrote: "Sun Yuchen, 25 years old this year, is undoubtedly a prominent figure among the post-90s entrepreneurs. He is both brilliant and controversial. The voices of doubt are mainly focused on the constant changes in his life trajectory and the almost paranoid enthusiasm he has shown since he started his business."

Today, 34-year-old Sun Yuchen is still active at the forefront of the blockchain industry. Every move he makes seems to be under the spotlight and attracts much attention. This almost paranoid enthusiasm, like an invisible hand, has been pushing him forward.

Sun Yuchen illustration Author: Pedro Brisola

Liberland "Prime Minister" Sun Yuchen

Recently, Sun Yuchen ushered in a new title - "Prime Minister" Sun Yuchen.

On October 10, according to a document disclosed by Twitter (X platform) blogger @tier10k, the internationally unrecognized micro-country Liberland announced its latest parliamentary election results. Sun Yuchen won the election and was nominated by Liberland President Vit Jedlička as acting prime minister.

On October 11, Justin Sun confirmed on social media that he had been elected Prime Minister of Liberland.

Screenshot of Justin Sun's Twitter

The official statement of Liberland stated that the votes in this election were counted at 5 am Central European Time on October 6, marking the first full deployment of the country's blockchain-based election system. The election process uses a simple set of rules and is fully algorithmic, aiming to provide transparency and eliminate doubts about the election results.

What country is Liberland? ?

According to Wikipedia, Liberland, the full name of the Free Republic of Liberland, which literally means "free land", is a private state founded by Czech politician Vít Jedlicka on April 13, 2015, claiming sovereignty over a territory called "Upper Siga" on the west bank of the Danube River, located at the border between Serbia and Croatia.

Image source: Wikipedia

Sun Yuchen said that Liberland is not only a country, but also a manifestation of a political philosophy that advocates freedom, minimal government intervention and personal autonomy.

Sun Yuchen also described the vision of Liberland becoming a symbol of global liberal ideas, comparing it to the spiritual home of liberals. He stressed that Liberland is the first country to establish a relationship with its citizens based on common principles and values ​​rather than blood or geographical boundaries, and everything is based on voluntary participation and mutual respect.

He will actively promote the concept of small government, not only within Liberland, but also as a model for the world. He said that Liberland's success can inspire other countries to accept liberal principles and show that minimal government can bring stability and prosperity without excessive regulation or coercion.

This latest appointment undoubtedly reminds people of Sun Yuchen's experience as Grenada's permanent representative and ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2021.

Sun Yuchen's actions are as always full of unexpected elements, often challenging people's understanding of traditional entrepreneurs. His frequent cross-border and bold actions not only surprise the public, but also often cause ridicule and heated discussions.

As someone joked: "Brother Sun is doing something again."

In 2021, Justin Sun served as Grenada's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary

Justin Sun under "scrutiny"

Whether he was elected Prime Minister of Liberland or frequently created topics in the cryptocurrency world and global politics, it would trigger a lot of discussion and controversy.

Supporters believe that he broke the traditional rules and boundaries and promoted the combination of liberalism and innovation. Critics, on the other hand, believe that he is an opportunist who manipulates public opinion through "traffic" and walks on the edge of the rules.

Challenging the rules seems to have become his usual path, and it is this behavior of constantly challenging traditional authority and system that puts him at the center of continuous scrutiny. People can't help but wonder: Is he really fighting for the idea of ​​freedom, or is he accumulating more capital and influence for himself?

Sometimes the media generally regards him as a single image. This single perspective simplifies his words and actions, which not only affects the public's overall understanding of him, but also makes the discussion one-sided and unable to explore his influence in the industry in depth.

We are paying attention to his achievements and questioning his motives. For someone who has been challenging traditional authority and institutions, people naturally want to know what his ultimate goal is?

Sun Yuchen's career can be seen as an ongoing game. His attempts and explorations in different fields actually reveal the challenges of a post-90s entrepreneur.

Therefore, Sun Yuchen is not only a public figure under scrutiny, but also an individual struggling between self-expression and public expectations. To understand a person, we need a deeper perspective, beyond simple labels and prejudices, to truly grasp his complexity.

I want to use some interesting perspectives to dismantle Sun Yuchen at other levels.

“I” Person Sun Yuchen

Over the years, Sun Yuchen’s appearance seems to have not changed much. In formal occasions, he always wears a suit, often hiding a short-sleeved T-shirt with a brand logo under his suit jacket, and a pair of neat Nike white shoes on his feet, paired with a pair of casual trousers.

Outsiders want to understand him, and insiders seem to know him well enough.

Many people may not know that he is always talking and in control of the overall situation on the surface, but in fact he is a typical “I” person (introverted personality).

Sun Yuchen himself has been tested and found that he is a standard INTP personality, that is, a logician personality.

INTP is one of the sixteen personality types in the Myers-Briggs Type Identification System (MBTI). INTP personality is known for calmness and rationality. They like to delve into the core of the problem and pursue the depth of thinking rather than staying on the surface.

And what are the famous logicians? Bill Gates, Einstein, etc. are all INTP personalities. People with this personality often think ahead and are good at discovering logical clues that ordinary people cannot see.

INTP lives in his own world and rationalizes everything according to his own thinking logic.

Although very "I", Sun Yuchen is more sensitive and interested in emerging things than many people, especially in the field of blockchain technology.

Huobi's brand spokesperson Liu Ye (@HTX_liuyego) revealed: "INTPs of Sun Yuchen's level are often ahead of others. He is always able to jump out of the conventional thinking framework and see future trends that most people have not noticed. He has a very high sensitivity to the understanding and judgment of emerging things, especially in the fields of blockchain and technological innovation." 

From his personality, Sun Yuchen is indeed the kind of person who dares to break the rules and is full of curiosity.

Take HTX DAO as an example. Liu Ye told me that he really wants to achieve decentralized governance through the platform. Even if some management initially do not understand his decision, these initiatives often succeed in the end.

From Sun Yuchen's perspective, HTX DAO is closely tied to the development of the company. By operating the Huobi platform well, the value of HTX will also increase accordingly, just like the stock price increases when operating a company.

However, like other INTPs, his independent thinking and unique decision-making methods often arouse doubts and confusion from the outside world. Sun Yuchen seems to have always ignored these voices, because in his world, everything has already had his own answers.

"Model Worker" Sun Yuchen

Last month, the community spontaneously began to "flood" Sun Yuchen, calling him a model worker in the field of Web3 and a real Builder.

You will find that Sun Yuchen has been active in the blockchain industry for more than ten years.

The big guys of the same period as him have either retreated behind the scenes or retired and started traveling around.

Some time ago, Ethereum founder Vitalik became the focus of topic because of his love affair, while the single Sun Yuchen became another hot topic in the community.

Sun Yuchen once mentioned in a sharing that he almost has no holidays. Whether it is weekdays or holidays, he is always on standby 24 hours a day.

In a podcast called "Open Your Mouth" in May this year, the host asked him: "What is your philosophy of work and life?"

Sun Yuchen replied: "Everything I have can give way to work. I think at this stage, work is the only important thing, and everything else can be given up for it. I am like a professional player, repeating training every day to pursue the best condition."

Many people wonder if he doesn't sleep, because he is always energetic, surfing on social platforms 24 hours a day, and showing extremely high agility to any hot spots.

In that podcast program, he said that in a sense he hopes to be like an artificial intelligence, or like a robot, and he wants to try to reduce emotional fluctuations.

"Starting a company is my only hobby."

He has a great passion for entrepreneurship and business, and almost devotes all his time and energy to it.

As a result, from the perspective of outside perception, Sun Yuchen's personality seems to be no longer so flamboyant.

He is now only focused on doing what he should do, such as making TRON better and leading Huobi HTX to "return to the top three".

Sun Yuchen attended the Huobi HTX 11th Anniversary Theme Series in August and shared his outlook on Huobi HTX. He feels that to some extent, Huobi HTX's 11-year operation is a success.

Then he started talking again:

"Jack Ma said that most Japanese companies have a history of 100 years. We also want to be a 100-year-old company. Although this is not easy in the financial industry, we will continue to work hard. In the field of Web3, there are even fewer companies that can be opened for 11 years, but Huobi HTX has done it.In the past 11 years, our industry has developed very greatly. In the cryptocurrency circle, everything is possible. There may be reasons to interpret this sentence positively or negatively. In the past 11 years, the development of the cryptocurrency circle has far exceeded that of traditional industries."

Sun Yuchen, who was "criticized as an exception"

Later, you will find that many people in the cryptocurrency circle scolded Sun Yuchen, but scolded Sun Yuchen as an exception.

Initially, everyone was concerned about what Sun Yuchen bought and sold, and speculated whether "Brother Sun" would dump the market. Over time, this attention gradually evolved into the so-called "wealth code" within the community. Sun Yuchen's investment actions, especially his timing of buying, have become an important basis for many investors to judge market trends. Although he occasionally "turns over" (such as being trapped in Ethereum when he bought the bottom before), according to the feedback from the community, his operation success rate is still quite high. So there is a saying in the community: "You can say that Sun Ge is bad, but you can't say that Sun Ge is bad." Sometimes Sun Yuchen sees himself as an attacker, always attacking at critical moments, just like the offensive style of his favorite football club AC Milan, but he also knows how to defend, just like Maldini's calmness and precision as a defender. When facing doubts and challenges, Sun Yuchen can often withstand all external attacks and criticisms in a unique way. The style of being bold and courageous in expressing himself has gradually converged, and instead presented a more restrained and cautious attitude.

This transformation not only reflects his sensitivity to external voices, but also shows that he knows how to weigh the consequences of his actions in a constantly changing industry environment.

These transformations are both contradictory and complementary.

The tide of the times and Sun Yuchen's own abilities have worked together to create his current position.

His controversy may be due to his leading position in the industry, while his success stems from his ability to innovate and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing market.

"Reverser" Sun Yuchen

When Sun Yuchen was young, he liked to read Wang Xiaobo and Li Ao. Wang Xiaobo's humor and depth, Li Ao's sharpness and outspokenness, all had a profound impact on Sun Yuchen in his youth.

In his essay "A Maverick Pig", Wang Xiaobo missed the free-spirited pig that jumped over hurdles like a goat, climbed onto the roof like a cat and wandered around, refused to be castrated, and could even rush out of the encirclement and fire of people.

"A Maverick Pig" is still the spiritual idol of this era.

Twenty years after Wang Xiaobo's death, people still seem unable to escape the fate of "being content with the set life" and live a life of "slowly being hammered".

When Sun Yuchen was young, he had already thought about "escaping".

In the 2007 Guangdong College Entrance Examination, the competition in Guangdong was still very fierce. There were 700,000 candidates in the same year. Peking University had 20 places for liberal arts in Guangdong. In the end, Sun Yuchen scored 650 points.

Before the exam, Justin Sun applied for Peking University's Yuanpei Program as his first choice, and Peking University's Chinese Department as his second choice, and was eventually admitted to Peking University's Chinese Department.

Justin Sun himself said that his test scores in his second year of high school were actually very unsatisfactory. In his third year of high school, he spent a year studying, plus the extra points for the New Concept Essay, to reverse his course from a third-tier university to Peking University.

Wang Xiaobo explored the loneliness and rebellion of individuals in society in that era, and Justin Sun's eccentricity was to choose a different path in a world that pursues norms and consistency.

His personality can be described as "extremely eccentric". When he started a business, he won attention and resources in a unique way. This style is not only reflected in his business strategy, but also in his shaping of his public image.

However, eccentricity is not always smooth sailing. This personality brings attention and resources, but also doubts and criticisms.

In the constant reflection and adjustment, perhaps Sun Yuchen is trying to find a spiritual resonance with the maverick pig in Wang Xiaobo's works - even in adversity, we must stick to ourselves and bravely pursue our own path.

"Ordinary Man" Sun Yuchen

Apart from all identities, sometimes Sun Yuchen is just an ordinary post-90s.

Likes all new things, watching football games, watching Taylor Swift concerts, watching F1. Even reposting some bloggers' "Find Number" tweets to "eat melons".

Sometimes Sun Yuchen is an out-and-out chatterbox.

People who have come into contact with him say that his topics are surprisingly wide-ranging and he can talk endlessly about any topic.

He talks about "marriage" in his short videos on his social platform. A person who is not very "in love", he talks about marriage with you very well.

He reposted the WEB3 "Chong Tu Gou" rap songs written by others, and maybe he practiced freestyle alone at home.

He still loves "making things happen". Wherever there is "making things happen", he will appear there.

Sun Yuchen of the "Crypto Wave"

At the beginning of the article, we wrote that Sun Yuchen is passionate about the vision of Liberland.

He hopes to make it a spiritual home for libertarians, just like the Vatican for Catholics. Justin Sun explained: "Liberals around the world may have their own nationalities and identities in different countries, but Liberland will be their ideological home, a place that respects the concepts of freedom, autonomy and voluntary governance by citizens." Back in the torrent of the blockchain and crypto world, his existence is full of contradictions and conflicts. These controversies and praises seem to have become a foil on the stage of his life. Does Justin Sun really care about these evaluations? When wealth has already come like a tide, these public opinions and the eyes of the outside world may have already become the "background noise" in his life and no longer have a substantial influence.

Wang Xiaobo wrote in his classic work "The Golden Age": "That day I was twenty-one years old, in the golden age of my life, I had many extravagant hopes. I wanted to love, to eat, and to turn into a half-bright and half-dark cloud in the sky in an instant. Later I realized that life is a slow process of being hammered. As people get older day by day, their extravagant hopes disappear day by day, and finally they become like a cow that has been hammered. I think I will always be strong and nothing can hammer me."

But as time goes by, people gradually understand that life is, as Wang Xiaobo said, a "slow process of being hammered."

These dreams and extravagant hopes will slowly be shattered by reality, and eventually become as heavy as an ox, making it difficult to walk.

So, if Justin Sun goes back to the age of 22, will he choose to start a business again and step into the blockchain encryption wave without hesitation?

Will he still maintain his initial enthusiasm and vigor in the face of countless challenges and controversies, and rush forward fearlessly like he did back then?

Just as the blockchain world itself is full of uncertainty, now at the age of 34, he is still at the forefront of the cryptocurrency world, continuing to catch up with the next wave.