From the Phoenix of the Cryptocurrency Circle to the Survival Laws of the Era: A Deep Dive into the Winning Logic and Indomitable Will Behind "Sun Xue"

Sunology is on the rise.

At the beginning of 2026, an old book from nearly a decade ago suddenly surged into the WeChat Reading hot list—"This World is Both Cruel and Gentle," authored by Sun Yuchen.

Almost simultaneously, various social platforms both domestically and internationally began to intensively discuss "Sunology." It echoes the saying online: in the past, people scoffed at him; now, they are trying to learn from him frame by frame.

When exactly did Brother Sun's reputation reverse? Was it over ten years ago when he first invested in BTC and Tesla? Was it two years ago when he publicly showcased the Xiaomi robot dog on social media, heavily betting on Xiaomi? Or was it last year when he came back from space, driving up TRON and $HTX…

Yes, and no. This collective reversal seems more like a return of the zeitgeist: when certainty recedes and the path of ascent becomes unclear, people begin to look back at those who survived and even thrived in chaos.

The rise of Sunology itself is a signal.

“This World is Both Cruel and Gentle” ranks second on WeChat Reading's soaring list

The Essence of Sunology is Winning

Some joke that Sun Yuchen is the "Phoenix of the crypto world," while others break down his experiences into an "extreme money-making methodology." Some even try to find a reusable survival logic from his controversies and comebacks.

Through rounds of discussions, breakdowns, and reinterpretations, Sunology gradually takes shape.

Even Sun Yuchen himself has stepped into the fray. He wrote on social media: "The essence of Sunology is winning. You will become a winner, no matter where you are on Earth, no matter what era you are in, no matter what kind of family you come from."

Sun Yuchen shares his views on "Sunology" on social media

If we only look at the results, it’s easy to overlook a fact: Sun Yuchen did not enter the crypto world from a safe starting point.

Coming from an ordinary background, he entered Peking University through an essay competition, and almost every key choice thereafter was a high-risk bet. Studying in the U.S., returning to start a business, going all in on the crypto industry—none of these were "safe solutions."

Especially after entering the crypto space, he faced not a favorable situation.

Sudden regulatory changes, severe industry cycles, project doubts, and long-term public opinion attacks… At many junctures, most people might have chosen to exit quietly, preserving their existing achievements.

But Sun Yuchen has never left the table.

Even during the most unfavorable phases in the eyes of outsiders, he continued to push things forward—continuing projects, maintaining ecological layouts, and sustaining his presence. Among these actions, the most controversial and symbolically significant step was his decision to enter Huobi HTX.

This brings us to Sun Yuchen's investment philosophy.

Do What is Right from the Future's Perspective

In traditional business textbooks, investment emphasizes asset allocation, risk hedging, and value preservation. But in the Sunology system, the essence of investment is to understand the future, comprehend the future, and focus on the future.

In 2013, he leveraged and went all in on Bitcoin; when Tesla's market value was less than $4 billion, he bet on Tesla stock, and his personal assets exceeded ten million.

In 2014, he advocated not buying a house, car, or getting married before the age of 30, investing most of his time, money, and energy into self-improvement, personal growth, and spiritual freedom. This philosophy remains sharp even across eras.

In 2016, he became the "first knowledge influencer of the post-90s generation."

Young Sun Yuchen in "This World is Both Cruel and Gentle"

After entering the crypto world, he has always been seizing narrative opportunities: founding the TRON public chain (2017), acquiring the phenomenal decentralized social platform Steemit (2020); purchasing Picasso's famous painting "Nude Woman with Necklace" and turning it into an NFT (2021); entering Huobi (2022), building the Dominica Metaverse (2023); promoting the establishment of HTX DAO and proposing the concept of a People's Exchange (2024); deeply collaborating with the Trump family, laying out USD1 and other stablecoins, launching the Chinese decentralized contract trading platform Sun Wukong (2025)… From DeFi, NFTs, and the Metaverse to RWA and stablecoins, his technology may not be the strongest, but he ensures the market knows he is always doing the most cutting-edge and impressive things.

Sun Yuchen said, "Don't be constrained by the current stock; keep your eyes on the increment and do what is right from the future's perspective." He has truly done just that.

From Sun Yuchen's perspective, Huobi is not merely a trading platform but a strategic chessboard that can carry innovation and ecological experiments—here, he continues to practice "doing what is right from the future's perspective," showing the market and users that sustained layouts and long-term commitment can win more than short-term conservatism.

Thus, it is not difficult to understand Huobi's achievements today: the total number of registered users globally has surpassed 55 million, with 6 million new registrations in 2025, and an annual trading volume reaching approximately $3.3 trillion… Both new and old users, including institutional users, are returning in full force.

In the new year, Sun Yuchen has released new "winner" signals: keep moving, focus on AI, focus on space exploration, and do what interests you.

The Dimensional Attack of Aliens

At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Elon Musk was asked if there are aliens on Earth. He jokingly replied, "If anyone knows about aliens, it might be me." He then added, "I might just be that alien."

This is, of course, a joke, but the joke holds because it is not entirely fictional.

In the highly advanced fields of space, energy, and artificial intelligence, Musk's position already exceeds the understanding of most people. His way of viewing the world is not entirely aligned with that of "earthlings."

Interestingly, a similar metaphor appears in Sun Yuchen's narrative.

Ten years ago, Sun Yuchen said, "In today's continuously maturing technology, humans evolve into aliens, achieving their goals through dimensional attacks."

The concept of "dimensional attack" originates from Liu Cixin's science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem," referring to an attack method where aliens use "two-dimensional foil" to reduce the solar system from three-dimensional space to two-dimensional space. In the business realm, the core of a dimensional attack lies in breaking through the original competitive dimensions of the industry and reconstructing rules to reshape market patterns.

Sun Yuchen's dimensional attack relies on two "meals"—one is the $4.56 million lunch with Buffett, and the other is a banana he bought for $6.2 million.

In 2019, Sun Yuchen made headlines by purchasing the Buffett charity lunch at a record price, causing a global sensation. In the eyes of the mainstream financial world, Buffett embodies value, rationality, and long-termism; while in the crypto circle, Sun Yuchen represents radicalism, speed, and traffic. When he forcibly brought the marginal narrative of crypto to the central stage where Buffett resides, the conflict itself became content.

The same logic is even more intuitive in the "expensive banana" incident.

Maurizio Cattelan's work "Comedian," featuring a banana taped to the wall, is an absurd deconstruction of "value" in the art world. Sun Yuchen's purchase of it for 45 million RMB and then eating it in public pushed this deconstruction to the extreme.

He understands the underlying logic of the crypto world too well: in cryptocurrency and meme culture, value does not depend on the object itself but on the consensus and topics it carries. He clearly knows that he is not buying an artwork but a ticket to global headlines.

The banana is gone, but the symbol of "Sun Yuchen ate $6.2 million" remains. He transformed a highbrow circle that originally belonged only to art critics and collectors into a topic of public entertainment that even a passerby could discuss.

This is Sun Yuchen's version of a "dimensional attack."

When most people are still constrained by face, rules, and traditional value judgments, he, like an "alien," follows a simple algorithm: where there is attention, there is value. It has been proven that in the age of attention economy, this straightforward and brutal approach is often the most effective.

Sun Yuchen bought "Comedian" for 45 million RMB and ate it in public

The Cost of Stability

In recent years, for many young people, the "stability" of "passing the civil service exam" has been packaged as an almost morally correct choice: stable jobs, stable income, stable paths. It signifies predictability and social recognition.

However, Sun Yuchen pointed out sharply ten years ago: the so-called stability is not only a false proposition but often brings devastating blows to those who rely on it for growth. He said, "I would rather choose to die in the wilderness of free foraging than survive in the comfort of a birdcage." He then plunged into a path of "savage growth."

Thus, we see a Sun Yuchen who decisively went overseas in 2017, a Sun Yuchen who remained in the spotlight despite being mired in public opinion, a Sun Yuchen who publicly pursued debts from the Hong Kong trust institution FDT, the youngest Chinese astronaut Sun Yuchen, and a Sun Yuchen who toasted with the U.S. president…

The more savage, the larger the stage.

Sun Yuchen proves through personal experience that young people need to abandon the pursuit of "stability," ignore the misunderstandings and obstacles from those around them, and bravely embrace uncertainty. Because uncertainty is an important breeding ground for wealth freedom. And with wealth freedom, one does not need to compromise their values for money—whether it be selling time, attention, emotions, or dignity.

"Sunology" is not isolated.

It aligns closely with Fukuzawa Yukichi's idea that "civilization is the liberation of individuality": one must first be spiritually independent for social status and wealth to have meaning. It also resonates with the repeated emphasis in "Atlas Shrugged": only those who take responsibility are qualified to talk about freedom.

Sun Yuchen after going to space, posing with a childhood photo

Resilience is the Final Moat

In all discussions about "Sunology," one point that is easily overlooked is: his methodology can be imitated, his narrative can be replicated, but that spirit structure which remains unbroken in dire situations is almost impossible to transplant.

After founding TRON, challenges followed one after another: sudden regulatory changes, cyclical industry crashes, project doubts, and long-term public opinion attacks. He did not fall silent or disappear; instead, he updated daily progress on social media, even if it was just a few words. Who still remembers his nightly updates on his Huobi onboarding diary? He merely compressed all the pressure into his body, turning it into a driving force that made him sharper.

Even the rumored "girlfriend" Chen Ying, who claims to be the chief disciple of Sunology, commented on him: "During the time I was with him, I never saw him lose control of his emotions, not even for a second… What I liked about him then was that almost obsessive 'unwavering willpower' and the strong vitality that could still erupt in dire straits."

Sunology, in essence, is an extremely clear-eyed realism:

The world is cruel because it does not take anyone's emotions into account;
The world is gentle because it still rewards those who understand the rules and are willing to bear the consequences.

I sincerely hope that those who have always joked about Sun Yuchen can one day listen to him discuss a problem in full, to see how he dissects reality and makes long-term bets.

You don’t necessarily have to like him, but it’s hard to deny that he is a person who thinks seriously.