Recently, stablecoins have become a global financial and technological hotspot, and Blockchain in Plain Language had the honor of interviewing TRON founder Justin Sun. He recently graced the cover of Asia Weekly’s 2025 Issue 27, marking the second time in 14 years that Justin Sun has appeared on the cover of this internationally authoritative Chinese weekly. This time, Justin Sun once again became the cover figure as a pioneer in the blockchain industry. As he stated, this is not only a recognition of his past efforts but a powerful testament to TRON’s continuous innovation in the blockchain field and its global influence.

In an interview, Sun Yuchen reviewed his transformation from a post-90s elite at Peking University to a leader in the cryptocurrency industry, emphasizing his firm belief in blockchain technology and the strategic layout of TRON in creating a global public chain ecosystem. He admitted that marketing is just a means, and the product is the core, the success of TRON is attributed to its high throughput, low-cost DPoS consensus mechanism, and global developer ecosystem. Looking to the future, he believes that stablecoins will become a key bridge connecting traditional finance and the crypto world, and TRON, leveraging its leading advantage in the stablecoin settlement layer, will continue to drive the widespread application of Web3.

Regarding the industry’s prospects, Sun Yuchen pointed out that a clear regulatory framework will accelerate the mainstreaming of cryptocurrency, creating more opportunities for ordinary people to participate in DeFi, NFTs, and emerging public chain ecosystems. He suggested that young practitioners solidify their technical foundations, maintain an open mindset, and find a balance between compliance and innovation. Both personal growth trajectories and the development path of TRON validate his idea of “disruptive innovation changes the world”—cryptographic technology is evolving from a geek’s toy into a core force reshaping global financial infrastructure.

The following is the full text of the interview:

01

Industry Pioneer: Going Viral with TRON and the Cryptocurrency Field

Blockchain in Plain Language: Thank you, Sun Yuchen, for accepting the interview with Blockchain Celebrity Talk. Congratulations on appearing on the cover of Asia Weekly again. The first question is, we are very eager to know, what does it mean and how do you feel personally, as well as for TRON, to be on the cover of this important publication again?**

Justin Sun: I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Blockchain for the insightful interview and also to Asia Weekly for making me the cover figure again after 14 years. I believe this is not only a recognition of my past efforts but also a testament to TRON’s continuous innovation and global influence in the blockchain field. Of course, for me personally, the significance is definitely different; in 2011, I was the representative of the post-90s generation in China on the cover, and this time, I am being recognized as an entrepreneur in the blockchain industry. However, the connection is also evident: Chinese people, and the post-90s generation of Chinese have already gained significant influence in the world, while the blockchain industry has also gained recognition and is thriving. Additionally, it shows that the contributions of myself, TRON, and industry practitioners have been seen, recognized, and praised. TRON has now become one of the leading public chains globally, carrying the trust of hundreds of millions of users and the dreams of countless developers. This honor will motivate us to continue optimizing technology, expanding application scenarios, and contributing more to the future of Web3.

02

The essence of marketing is the product

Vernacular Blockchain: From bidding for Buffett’s lunch, acquiring high-priced artworks, appearing on Forbes cover, to gracing the Asia Weekly cover again after many years, crazily bringing the Tron and crypto field into the spotlight, what are your thoughts on the outside world calling you a “marketing genius” and “crypto pioneer”?

Sun Yuchen: Being called a “marketing master” is a compliment to me personally. Marketing is also an essential part of business, and there is a saying in China that goes, “A good wine fears not the deep alley.” At the same time, I am just an entrepreneur, and my core purpose is to lead the team to make TRON a better product. Some may criticize Sun Yuchen, but I believe that is more of a temporary misunderstanding; time will prove everything.

The essence of marketing is the product. In this increasingly transparent world, if you treat users as fools to deceive them, that business model will definitely not last. The achievements of TRON today are somewhat related to my personal marketing, but more so come from our silent engineers and countless developers within the community; it is their efforts that support the confidence of 300 million users in TRON.

03

The Journey of 90s Elites into the New Crypto Frontier

Blockchain in Plain Language: In 2011, you appeared on the cover of Asia Weekly as the “post-90s elite”. Do you still remember your internet entrepreneurship experience from back then?

Sun Yuchen: My Internet entrepreneurship actually began after I first appeared on the cover of Asia Weekly. The cover itself has little to do with entrepreneurship, but I still vividly remember my entrepreneurial experiences at that time. In 2013, when I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and returned to China, the Internet entrepreneurship wave in the country was actually nearing its end. If this wave of Internet entrepreneurship had been delayed by five years, I might have become the second Wang Xing and created a second Meituan. During my studies in the United States, I learned about Bitcoin and immediately recognized that this was the future. So I chose to go All IN, using a more efficient decentralized system to revolutionize the Internet. At that time, very few people seemed to realize the potential of this. Looking back now, that belief and persistence have proven to be correct.

04

Encountering Bitcoin

Plain Language Blockchain: At that time, Bitcoin was still in its infancy. There have been reports that you came into contact with Bitcoin quite early. Could you share your experience of encountering Bitcoin for the first time and how you view it?

Sun Yuchen: I remember the first time I truly came into contact with Bitcoin was when I saw someone trading Bitcoin on a foreign forum. I also downloaded the Bitcoin Core wallet and spent several days syncing the blockchain data. At that time, I wasn’t thinking about investing; I was purely curious, so I bought some Bitcoin to play around with, mainly to understand the technical logic behind it. After reading Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper, I was shocked by the concepts of “decentralization” and “trust mechanism” — a system that doesn’t require intermediaries and relies on mathematics and cryptography is simply a disruptive imagination of traditional finance.

At that time, my view of it was: This thing has potential, but it is still far from large-scale application. After all, the blockchain technology of 2011 was too primitive, the transaction speed was slow, and the cognitive threshold was high; many people thought it was just a “geek’s toy” or “dark web currency.” However, I have always believed that the significance of Bitcoin is not just the currency itself, but that it opened up a whole new model of trust, paving the way for later blockchain technologies.

05

ALL in Blockchain

Plainspoken Blockchain: Switching from Internet Entrepreneurship to the Crypto Space, at that time was not a common occurrence, how did you make this decision?

Sun Yuchen: Switching from internet entrepreneurship to the crypto field was indeed considered an “alternative” choice at that time. I decided to dive into the crypto space mainly because of my fascination with Bitcoin and blockchain technology. After coming into contact with Bitcoin in the United States, I spent a lot of time studying Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper and early blockchain projects, and I increasingly felt that this was a foundational technology that could change the world. The characteristics of decentralization, immutability, and peer-to-peer trust mechanisms made me see a possibility that transcends traditional internet—no matter how lively Web 2.0 is, the core still lies in centralized platforms controlling data and traffic, while blockchain allows users to truly “own” their digital assets and identities.

The opportunity to enter the crypto space came around 2013 when Bitcoin’s price began to show some improvement, and discussions about blockchain spread from the geek community to a broader audience. At that time, I felt that while internet entrepreneurship was bustling, the dividends had already been divided among the big players, making it difficult for newcomers to break through. On the other hand, blockchain was still a blue ocean, with technology, applications, and business models in their early stages, full of opportunities. So I made up my mind to fully invest in the crypto field around 2014, and in 2017, I founded Tron with the goal of creating a decentralized internet infrastructure.

This decision is actually quite risky, and many people are not optimistic about it. But I have always believed that true innovation often happens on the fringes. It turns out that this step was the right one, TRON has now become a leading public chain globally, and the wave of Web3 has validated the judgment made back then. Looking back, the biggest driving force is still faith in technology and curiosity about the future!

06

The Biggest Challenge of TRON

Plain Language Blockchain: Over the years in the crypto space, what has been the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you successfully overcome it?

Sun Yuchen: I believe the biggest challenge is to provide products and services that satisfy all users. From the perspective of meeting the needs of 8 billion global users, the greatest challenge facing TRON is how to build a truly inclusive, user-friendly, and efficient decentralized ecosystem that allows blockchain technology to move from a geeky niche to the global public. 8 billion people means diverse needs, cultural differences, varying levels of technology, and economic backgrounds, which impose high demands on the performance, accessibility, security, and compliance of public chains. So far, this challenge still exists.

Our response strategy includes leading technological strength and high-quality product services, which is reflected in TRON continuously optimizing the DPoS consensus mechanism, increasing TPS to thousands per second, with transaction fees as low as a few cents, ensuring efficiency at low cost; on the globalization front, TRON has established localized teams in multiple countries and regions, adapting to local regulations and cultures; in addition, the diversity of the TRON ecosystem allows us to cover scenarios in finance, entertainment, social interaction, and more, catering to different user groups.

07

Next Stop: Global Financial “On-Chain Settlement Layer”

Plain Language Blockchain: Recently, I noticed that in your interview with Forbes, you introduced that the daily stablecoin trading volume of the TRON network ranks first in the world and is expected to reach $7 trillion by 2025, surpassing traditional financial giants like Visa. What do you think are the core advantages that allow TRON to lead the global stablecoin trading and compete for the “on-chain settlement layer”?

Justin Sun: The core advantages of TRON in leading global stablecoin transactions lie in low cost, high efficiency, and a wide user base. Our DPoS consensus mechanism achieves over 2500 transactions per second, with transaction fees nearly zero, far lower than other public chains like Ethereum. This makes TRC20-USDT the preferred choice for high-frequency, small-value payments, especially standing out in cross-border payments and emerging market countries.

In addition, Tron has over 300 million wallet addresses, with more than 2 million daily active users on-chain. Strong closed loops have formed within the ecosystem through DeFi, NFTs, and cross-chain protocols like Sun.io and JustLend DAO, attracting global users and developers. In simple terms, Tron has built the world’s most efficient stablecoin settlement network through its technological advantages, user scale, and compliance layout, making it an ideal choice for the “on-chain settlement layer.”

Plain Language Blockchain: I am very pleased to see that the TRON network has achieved such results, which is related to your early layout of the stablecoin strategy. Stablecoins have now become the hottest topic in the industry. What are your views on the next steps for stablecoin development?

Sun Yuchen: The next step in the development of stablecoins will be to integrate more deeply into the global financial system, becoming a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain. We see that stablecoins have evolved from being merely a medium of exchange to becoming core assets in payments, settlements, and DeFi. In the future, I believe there are three trends:

• First, compliance will be stricter, and stablecoins similar to USDT will further collaborate with regulatory agencies to obtain licenses in more countries and regions.
• Secondly, stablecoins will expand to more scenarios, such as on-chain salary payments, cross-border e-commerce settlements, and even as a supplement to central bank digital currencies;
• Finally, there will be more emphasis on privacy and programmability, such as enhancing transaction privacy through zero-knowledge proofs or supporting complex financial derivatives via smart contracts.

TRON will continue to optimize network performance, maintaining the advantages of low costs and high throughput, while promoting cooperation with traditional financial institutions, such as expanding the coverage of payment systems to ensure the dominant position of stablecoins in the global payment network.

08

The Unique Aspects of the Trump Family Cryptocurrency Project WLFI

Plain Language Blockchain: As the largest holder of the World Liberty Financial governance Token and a project advisor for the Trump family’s cryptocurrency project, can you share your views on it with us?

Sun Yuchen: The uniqueness of WLFI lies in its backing by the influence of the Trump family and its strategic positioning against the hegemony of the US dollar, which gives it a differentiated advantage in the DeFi space. The rapid growth of USD1 validates the market’s demand for dollar-pegged stablecoins, and the partnership with Aave and Ethena Labs further strengthens its technological capabilities. I and TRON have invested $75 million in WLF $WLFI because I believe it can become the global benchmark for dollar stablecoin settlements, similar to the role of TRON in USDT trading.

09

The minting of USD1 on the TRON network is an important milestone for stablecoins and the TRON ecosystem.

Plain Language Blockchain: Recently noticed that you posted a message on social media: “The USD1 stablecoin supported by the Trump family WLFI has officially been minted on the TRON network, which is a small step for USD1 but a giant leap for stablecoins.” Can you elaborate on the significance of USD1 for stablecoins and the TRON network?

Sun Yuchen: The issuance of USD1 on the TRON network is an important milestone in the stablecoin sector and the TRON ecosystem. For stablecoins, USD1 is backed by the influence of World Liberty Financial (WLF) and the Trump family, combined with the advantages of USD asset reserves and compliance, enhancing market trust in USD stablecoins. It further promotes the adoption of stablecoins in global payments, DeFi, and cross-border settlements through TRON’s low-cost, high-throughput network, challenging the inefficiencies of traditional finance. This marks a significant leap of stablecoins from the margins to mainstream finance.

The addition of USD1 solidifies our leading position as the global settlement layer for stablecoins for TRON. TRON has processed over $50 trillion in USDT transactions, and the minting of USD1 further enriches the ecosystem, attracting more users and institutions. Its arrival enhances the synergy between TRON and WLFI, for example, the future integration of Aave’s lending platform and on-chain payment functions will boost network activity and transaction volume.

10

Encrypted Future: Stars and Sea

Plain Language Blockchain: This year, a series of favorable regulatory policies for cryptocurrencies in the United States have been implemented one after another. The highly anticipated stablecoin “GENIUS Act,” “FIT21 Financial Innovation and Technology Act,” and the “Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act” have all made optimistic progress. What is your view on the long-term impact of clear regulations?

Sun Yuchen: Clear regulations provide a legal framework for stablecoins and digital asset markets, reducing uncertainty. In the long run, these bills will reshape the global financial landscape. The U.S. solidifies the leadership of the dollar stablecoin through regulation, which may weaken the market share of non-compliant stablecoins, while countering the competitive pressure of the European MiCA regulations. TRON, as the network with the largest trading volume of stablecoins, will seize this opportunity to further optimize on-chain settlement efficiency, cooperate with more competitive projects, and capture the dominance of the global “on-chain settlement layer.”

However, regulation also brings challenges. Compliance costs may lead to market concentration, benefiting large players like Circle, while small and medium issuers may need to adjust their strategies. For TRON, we will continue to invest in technological optimization and compliance capabilities to ensure the ecosystem’s leading position in the new regulatory era. Clear regulation is a turning point for the crypto industry from “disorder” to “standardization,” representing both an opportunity and a new starting point for global competition.

11

Opportunities for Ordinary People in the Crypto Space

Plain Language Blockchain: With the mainstreaming of the crypto space, more and more capital giants are getting involved. Based on your experience, can you simply predict what future trend opportunities ordinary people might still have?

Sun Yuchen: The mainstreaming of the cryptocurrency sector is an unstoppable trend, and the opportunities for ordinary people remain vast.

• First, low-threshold investments in DeFi and Web3, such as staking and liquidity mining, can still yield high returns.
• Second, NFT and metaverse-related assets, seize the early benefits of the combination of culture and technology.
• Third, pay attention to emerging public chains and Layer 2 ecosystems, engage with and join potential project communities, and claim airdrops, etc. The key is to learn, keep up with trends, and be brave in trial and error. In the next decade, cryptocurrency will reshape the wealth landscape!

Plain Language Blockchain: The college entrance examination just ended this year, and many students are about to choose their majors and direction in life. As a senior and a leader in financial technology, what advice do you have for these potential “new forces” in the crypto field?

Sun Yuchen: After the college entrance exam, congratulations to these young people for stepping into a new stage! For students aspiring to the cryptocurrency field, my advice is:

• First, mastering the underlying technologies such as blockchain, cryptography, and distributed systems is essential. A solid technical foundation allows you to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
• Second, maintain curiosity. The crypto world is ever-changing. Pay attention to the trends of DeFi, Web3, and AI integration, and try out DApps more often.
• Third, dare to take risks, join early projects or startup teams, and accumulate practical experience. The future belongs to you, seize the opportunity, and bravely shape your own crypto era!

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