Chun Wang, co-founder of major Bitcoin mining pool F2Pool, has been tapped as the first crew member for SpaceX's first human spaceflight to Mars. The mission, a two-year interplanetary flyby, will go beyond the Earth-Moon system and return to Earth. Wang previously commanded Fram2, the first privately funded human mission to fly over Earth's poles, also operated by SpaceX.
From bitcoin mining to deep space
Wang isn't just a space enthusiast — he runs serious crypto infrastructure. F2Pool currently controls 10.2% of the network's total hashrate, ranking third globally with 111.35 EH/s. That's behind Foundry (303.84 EH/s) and AntPool (183 EH/s). He also founded Stakefish, a non-custodial validator for proof-of-stake blockchains including Ethereum. His private astronaut experience with Fram2 made him a natural fit for SpaceX's ambitious timeline.
SpaceX's bitcoin holdings
The Mars announcement comes as SpaceX's own bitcoin stash is in the spotlight. The company's SEC S-1 filing, ahead of a planned June 12 stock market debut, revealed it held 18,712 Bitcoin as of March 31. That's worth about $1.45 billion at current prices — a far cry from the cost basis of $35,320 per coin. Bitcoin was trading around $77,300 at the time of this article. The timing isn't bad for a company about to go public.
The road to Mars
Before the Mars flyby, Wang will join Dennis and Akiko Tito on SpaceX's first commercial human spaceflight around the Moon. That week-long circumlunar trip will take them within 200 km of the lunar surface. The Mars mission itself is a flyby — no landing — but it's still the first human mission to leave the Earth-Moon system. Given Wang's experience and the Titos' backing, this lunar flight doubles as a dress rehearsal for the bigger journey. Next up: the SEC clears SpaceX's IPO, and the world sees if a bitcoin miner can handle the Martian void.
