Crypto
Key Points
- Forbes highlighted that Sun boosted efforts to create a global payment system via Tron.
- Tron currently has 300 million users and bullish plans for the future.
The founder of Tron blockchain, Justin Sun, marked an important moment in the crypto industry. Forbes featured Sun as “Crypto’s Billionaire Barker,” who helped the Trump family in the US make $400 million.
Sun created the Tron platform, which currently has a growing user base that has onboarded over 300 million people.
Justin Sun loves a publicity stunt. But in bailing out Donald Trump’s crypto venture, Sun has boosted his efforts to create a global payment system, using his Tron platform, with 300 million users and counting. (Photo: Gareth Brown for Forbes) https://t.co/RduTUSPqfb pic.twitter.com/z4wmSyHsHZ
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 27, 2025
Justin Sun Featured in Forbes
Forbes released a piece on Justin Sun on March 27, highlighting his support for the Trump family in the US and his huge efforts to build a global payment system via the Tron platform.
Their article begins by revealing that Sun’s admiration for the US President Donald Trump began in middle school while he was living in Huizhou, a city of 6 million people in China’s Guangdong province, when the crypto mogul’s teacher encouraged his class to watch American television to learn English.
The story began when Sun downloaded reruns of The Apprentice via BitTorrent, a service which he later bought.
Tron’s founder was captivated by the American competition, showmanship and ego – all these considered “anathema” in Chinese socialism, Forbes noted.
However, in the early 2000s, the reforms set in place by Deng Xiaoping opened China to capitalism, especially in Shenzhen, which borders Huizhou. Sun said that it was only natural that The Apprentice would become popular in China.
Years later, Sun found himself investing in the Trump family’s crypto project, World Liberty Financial (WLFI).
Justin Sun’s WLFI Investments Generated $400M for the Trump Family
Tron invested $30 million in the project in 2024, becoming its largest investor, as highlighted by Zak Folkman, the co-founder of WLFI, during Consensus 2025 in Hong Kong.
We are thrilled to invest $30 million in World Liberty Financial @worldlibertyfi as its largest investor. The U.S. is becoming the blockchain hub, and Bitcoin owes it to @realDonaldTrump! TRON is committed to making America great again and leading innovation. Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/cISTsVYP1f
— H.E. Justin Sun
(@justinsuntron) November 25, 2024
Following his initial investment, Sun invested another $45 million into WLFI, of which 75% went to Trump directly, according to the publication.
When the US President launched his memecoin TRUMP in January, Tron’s founder reportedly invested a few million more.
Although Sun’s entire position in WLFI was locked up indefinitely, it generated $400 million for the Trump family.
His support for the crypto project was rewarded when he was named an advisor to WLFI. Sun also received good news from the US SEC.
SEC Paused Investigations into Sun’s Firms
Forbes also mentioned how, since March 2023, Sun has faced an SEC lawsuit that alleged fraudulent market manipulation and selling unregistered securities, and by now, he has become the biggest supporter of the US President’s crypto project.
Sun practically supported the person who now leads America, under whom the SEC will get new leadership as well, the publication noted.
Also, in early 2025, after Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the regulator dropped all its lawsuits and investigations into crypto companies, including Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, and others, pausing its lawsuit against Sun and his firms as well.
Forbes continued and made a statement about Sun’s vision on Bitcoin and its creator.
The Importance of Bitcoin and Satoshi Nakamoto for Tron’s Founder
Forbes said that what got Sun to the top was not an idealistic discourse on Satoshi Nakamoto’s promise of a new financial system governed by peers and outside of central banks and greedy tech giants, but a business model that “copies” the ones of other first movers.
However, over time, Sun expressed the importance of maintaining Satoshi’s vision on Bitcoin.
In September 2024, he criticized Coinbase’s wrapped BTC launch, saying that there’s no more ridiculous combination than putting central banks and Bitcoin together, and Satoshi could have never envisioned this.
cbbtc=central bank btc. There is no more ridiculous combination in the world than putting central banks and Bitcoin together. I imagine this is a day Satoshi Nakamoto could never have envisioned when creating Bitcoin. https://t.co/bi7EkKznpn
— H.E. Justin Sun
Also, in 2018, Sun reflected on Bitcoin’s alignment with Satoshi’s original vision, and said that Tron could continue to legacy.
He also recently said that TRX could undergo halvings like BTC, an initiative that would reduce the rate of TRX emissions, controlling inflation, and increasing the asset’s long-term value.
Sun’s statements reflect respect for Bitcoin and its creator, and not the fact that they don’t matter too much, like Forbes suggested.
Key Moments in Sun’s Timeline
Forbes continued its article with a timeline of Sun’s life, mentioning important moments including the following:
- Enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011
- Downloading a Bitcoin wallet after reading a NYT article about Bitcoin in 2012
- Becoming Ripple’s Chief Representative to China in 2013
- Investing in Ethereum’s ICO in 2014
- Meeting Binance’s founder, CZ, in 2015
- Launching Tron in 2017
Binance and CZ’s Importance in Tron’s Journey
Forbes noted that CZ has been the most important person in Sun’s early success. In August 2017, Binance handled Tron’s ICO of $70 million, just a few days before China banned crypto.
Ever since Binance designated Tron as a preferred platform for buying and trading USDT, it has been a dominant player in the industry.
Forbes also noted that Tron accounts for almost half of USDT’s $144 billion market cap, citing Dune data.
In November 2018, CZ launched Binance’s Gold Label Project to support crypto offerings, and Tron was one of the first to benefit from this, becoming the default option for Binance’s 10 million users at that time for people who wanted to use USDT for dollar payments.
In 2019, Binance offered USDT holders on Tron a 16% annual percentage rate on balances, placing Tron ahead of Ethereum in transfers. That year, USDT supply on Tron jumped from $100 million to almost $1 billion.
The scandal that involved Binance and CZ in 2023 led to the exchange’s founder spending four months in jail, but Binance’s boost for Tron remained vital and led to:
- USDT becoming the most actively traded crypto on the planet
- Tron becoming USDT’s main blockchain
Tron’s Impressive Metrics
Tron currently has 300 million users worldwide and its monthly transaction exceeds $500 billion.
Tronscan data shows that Tron’s total transactions surpassed 9,9 billion, while the total accounts near 297 million. Tron’s TVL is almost $18,9 billion, and the total transfer volume surpassed $17.4 trillion.
Low fees boosted the blockchain after Tron offered trades at 30 cents when Ethereum was charging $50.
Tron accounts for almost half of the $144 billion in USDT in circulation, and its fees have jumped at least tenfold. In 2024, Tron’s revenue was $2.2 billion, and now, in the past month alone, revenue exceeds $278 million, according to Tronscan.
Tron processes up to 2,000 TPS and reported 2.4 billion transactions last year, with monthly transactions surging over 80%, surpassing BNB and Solana, Forbes noted, citing data from CryptoQuant.
What’s Next for Tron?
Forbes highlighted that Sun is working to make Tron safer, mentioning that in September 2024, Tron, Tether, and TRM Labs announced a partnership to eliminate illicit activity on Tron, called the T3 Financial Crime Unit.
Tron expects to see if the US SEC will drop its cases against the project as well, but things could turn out positively for the project and its founder now that he has become a WLFI investor, and also spent time with the US President’s sons, Eric and Donald.
Sun recently said that Trump’s support can boost a lot of crypto businesses and benefit the industry in this supercycle.
Tron’s founder also mentioned AI agents regarding the future of the industry, saying that they would not work for free and would need a powerful payment system, citing Elon Musk as his model.
Sun Expressed His Gratitude to Forbes
Sun expressed his gratitude for being featured in Forbes via an X post, saying that Tron’s journey continues, and decentralization will prevail.
From a visionary to a global force — honored to be featured on Forbes as Crypto’s Billionaire Barker. TRON’s journey continues, powering a global payment system with 300 million users and counting. Decentralization will prevail. pic.twitter.com/m6FXcbrvMJ
— H.E. Justin Sun
Binance’s CZ congratulated Sun, while also noting that Forbes’ article comes as a “hit piece.”
Forbes’ article follows the usual mainstream media take on Trump, the crypto industry, and its leaders, with some biased connotations, but it also highlights what matters the most – Sun’s ambition and dedication, his support for the Trump family’s crypto project, Binance and CZ’s support and the success of the Tron blockchain over the years.
