Sun Yuchen takes HTX users on a journey into commercial space travel

In 2025, Justin Sun will embark on a historic journey into commercial space with a lucky Huobi HTX user. This is not only the first crossover between the crypto industry and space exploration but also a declaration about dreams, adventure, and breaking boundaries.

Since the launch of the "Mars Project" by Huobi HTX, global users have shown great enthusiasm, with over ten thousand eager to sign up. After several rounds of rigorous selection, five candidates emerged from intense competition. Among them are entrepreneurs, financial operators, and ordinary "brick movers." Their stories vary, but they all share the same dream— to fly into the vastness of space.

We interviewed the five candidates to hear them share why they yearn for this space journey and their profound thoughts on Web3, adventure, and the future.

Chris: From Shenzhou 5 to the Entrepreneur's Space Dream of the Mars Project

Chris's dream of space began with the successful launch of Shenzhou 5 in 2003. At that time, he was a primary school student who first felt the mystery and vastness of the universe during a space-themed speech at school. In college, he read Frank White's "Overview Effect," which describes the cognitive shift astronauts experience when looking back at Earth from space, leaving a profound impact on him.

"I thought to myself, I must go to space before I turn 40," Chris recalled. However, the high costs of commercial space travel made the dream seem out of reach. Chris knew that only by succeeding in entrepreneurship could he turn his dream into reality.

The Web3 startup Chris founded faced challenges such as a broken funding chain, hacker attacks, and even nearly hiring a programmer from North Korea. But these crises did not defeat him; instead, they became fuel for his journey to the stars. Today, his company is valued at $1-2 billion, and the "Mars Project" has opened new possibilities for his dream of space.

"If I really get to go to space, I would bring a camera and a pair of headphones to listen to the soundtrack of 'Interstellar' in a weightless environment," he said. "I want to tell people on Earth: no matter how unrealistic a dream seems, there will be a day it comes true."

January: From Firefighter to Space, the Adventurous Spirit of a Firefighter

"Be crazy while young; if I don't go crazy now, I'll be old soon." This simple and direct statement reflects January's original intention to participate in the "Mars Project." As a quantitative trader, he is used to finding opportunities in the financial market, but in life, he loves adventure even more.

January was once a firefighter and participated in numerous rescue operations. "The tension of putting out fires and saving lives, and the sense of accomplishment afterward, is unmatched by any trade," he said. Now, the "Mars Project" by Huobi HTX excites him: "This is so cool; there might be even more thrilling activities in the future." In his view, Huobi HTX is not just a trading platform but a community that "dares to dream."

As a child, he had many wild fantasies, and he still maintains a "childlike heart." If he really goes to space, he wants to bring a ruler, take a photo, and caption it: "Give me a fulcrum, and I can really move the Earth."

"One day in the sky is a year on Earth," he laughed, "In space, time might become different."

Zhang Chuangxiong: A Declaration of Space from an Ordinary Person

"I want to prove that ordinary people also have the possibility of touching space." Zhang Chuangxiong's self-introduction is simple: "An ordinary practitioner." But his passion for the crypto industry and space exploration is anything but ordinary.

As a child, he fantasized about raising a tiger for security; now he jokingly says, "A potential coin might be more reliable." Indeed, Web3 has shown him the possibility of asset autonomy—breaking traditional financial barriers and allowing asset ownership and personal value realization to no longer rely on centralized rules. The "Mars Project" has shown him another possibility: even someone as ordinary as him can participate in space travel, once exclusive to the wealthy and astronauts.

"The core of the crypto industry and space exploration is the same; they both challenge boundaries and embrace the unknown," he said.

Zhang Gaokui: From Paragliding to Space, the Ultimate Romance of a Financial Person

Zhang Gaokui is a financial practitioner who has led company IPOs and has a keen intuition for risk and opportunity. When he saw Huobi HTX's "Mars Project," his first reaction was: "This is the ultimate romance of blockchain! While other platforms are still giving away Teslas, Justin is taking us out of the atmosphere."

He has been curious about the universe since childhood: "What is Earth's position in the universe? What is outside the universe?" These questions filled him with longing for space. In life, he loves extreme sports and once flew a paraglider alone for five hours. "When I encountered an updraft and was suddenly thrown up a hundred meters, that heart-pounding feeling is more thrilling than any fluctuation in the financial market."

If he can go to space, he wants to bring a plant from Earth to remind humanity of the fragility of our shared home. "Looking back at Earth from space, I want to say: protect our blue planet."

Qiu Jun: From Star-Chasing Youth to a Veteran in Crypto

Qiu Jun is a seasoned crypto practitioner and an astronomy photography enthusiast. Obsessed with the starry sky since childhood, he and his classmates made rockets and studied fuel in middle school. Although they often caused small accidents, it also planted the dream of gazing at the stars. Now, he has been deeply involved in the Huobi HTX trading platform for ten years, evolving from an early quantitative trader to a staunch believer in Web3. He has witnessed the industry's ups and downs while continually seeking the meaning of freedom amid risks. Upon learning about Huobi HTX's "Mars Project," he signed up without hesitation, saying, "For an astronomy enthusiast, being able to see Earth from space and photograph the Milky Way is the ultimate dream of a lifetime."

In Qiu Jun's eyes, Huobi HTX is not just a platform but a partner that dares to think and act—"Ten years of companionship, from opening positions to launching ships." The greatest opportunity Web3 offers ordinary people is not just asset freedom but a redefinition of participation, ownership, and collaboration. "Decentralization is not just a slogan; it is a new order that replaces authority and achieves consensus," he said. Moving from the blockchain to space is a metaphor and a reality—it marks the beginning of every believer in the future participating in the narrative and rewriting the rules through action.

Conclusion: The "Overview Effect" of the Crypto World

In 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts captured the famous "Earthrise" photo from lunar orbit, marking the first time humanity saw Earth in its entirety from space. This shift in perspective is known as the "Overview Effect," prompting countless people to rethink humanity's place in the universe.

Today, commercial space travel offers ordinary people the chance to experience this cognitive shift. In another dimension, Web3 is quietly undergoing a revolution of "de-bordering"—it allows ordinary people to have the possibility of asset autonomy for the first time.

Justin Sun's "Mars Project" is not just a marketing campaign but a symbol that embodies the spirit of Web3: everyone has the opportunity to chase dreams that once seemed unattainable.

In 2025, Chris, January, Zhang Chuangxiong, Zhang Gaokui, and Qiu Jun—one of them will represent the global crypto community and fly into space. Regardless of who ultimately becomes that lucky one, their stories have already proven:

In the world of Web3, ordinary people can also touch the stars.