Justin Sun Featured on Forbes Cover, Highlighting Crypto and Finance Integration

Justin Sun, the founder of TRON, was featured on the cover of Forbes Digital Assets in March 2025. The cover story highlighted Sun's efforts to integrate digital currencies with traditional finance, showcasing his bold moves and innovative strategies in the blockchain sector. Sun's appearance on the cover marked a significant milestone, as he became the second Chinese entrepreneur and the fourth crypto exchange leader to be featured on the prestigious cover.

Forbes described Sun as a "Crypto Billionaire Who Helped The Trumps Make $400 Million," referencing his high-profile investments, including a $75 million investment in World Liberty Financial (WLF), a project associated with former U.S. president Donald Trump. This investment underscores the growing intersection between crypto and mainstream ventures, as well as Sun's strategic approach to blending digital assets with classic finance.

Sun's career in the crypto industry has been marked by rapid growth and unconventional decisions. Born in 1990, he developed a reputation for his hands-on approach to entrepreneurship and innovation. Over the past decade, Sun has built a broad crypto ecosystem that includes public blockchains, payment systems, trading platforms, and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects. His flagship project, TRON, reportedly serves over 300 million users and processes more than ten million daily transactions, supporting his goal of establishing a more accessible global payment system through blockchain-based networks.

As the Global Advisor of HTX, Sun has played a crucial role in shaping the exchange's direction. HTX was recently recognized by Forbes as one of the "Top 25 World’s Most Trustworthy Crypto Exchanges of 2025." Under Sun's leadership, HTX has emphasized compliance and user security while expanding efforts to connect traditional finance with blockchain technology. Both HTX and TRON now prioritize transparency, open-source development, and governance shaped by their communities, reflecting Sun's commitment to bridging traditional finance with Web3 and supporting a shift toward a more transparent and efficient digital economy.

Sun's strategic ventures and legal challenges were also highlighted in the Forbes article. Despite ongoing legal pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which filed a lawsuit accusing him of fraud, market manipulation, and offering unregistered securities tied to Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT), Sun has continued to pursue major ventures and maintain a public presence in the crypto industry. In February 2025, both parties—Sun and the SEC—requested a 60-day stay in the proceedings to explore a potential resolution, though the outcome remains pending.

Sun's feature on Forbes also underscored his wide-ranging interests and accomplishments. He was the only Chinese entrepreneur in the top three on Forbes Portugal’s “40 Notable Blockchain Entrepreneurs to Watch” list, ranking just behind Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Sun has also been named in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia” lists, reflecting his interests in areas like art collecting, gaming, philanthropy, and space exploration. In late 2024, Sun was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Liberland, promoting policies focused on digital freedom and blockchain integration.

Sun's appearance on the Forbes cover and his strategic investments highlight his influence in the crypto industry and his efforts to integrate digital assets with traditional finance. Despite legal challenges, Sun continues to push the boundaries of blockchain technology and its applications, shaping the future of digital finance.