From Two Pizzas to a Presidential Feast: Trump's Handshake with Justin Sun Marks a Turning Point for Cryptocurrency's Future
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From Two Pizzas to a Presidential Feast: Trump's Handshake with Justin Sun Marks a Turning Point for Cryptocurrency's Future
The legendary story of buying pizza has not ended, but is being rewritten in another way.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsOn May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas with 10,000 bitcoins, completing the first-ever transaction using bitcoin to purchase physical goods in history. Since then, "Bitcoin Pizza Day" has become an annual grand celebration within the crypto community. Fifteen years later, the symbolic significance of May 22 was perfectly carried forward: on this day in 2025, U.S. President Trump gathered the top 220 holders of $TRUMP tokens for a grand dinner and specially invited the top 25 holders to attend his private reception and a VIP tour of the White House. Coincidentally, bitcoin also broke through $110,000 for the first time on this very day, setting a new all-time high.
As one of the most powerful individuals on Earth, Trump's close interaction with the crypto world is destined to become a new milestone for the industry. Under the spotlight, one Eastern face stood out—Sun Yuchen, global advisor of Huobi HTX, founder of TRON, largest holder of $TRUMP, and advisor to the Trump family’s crypto project WLFI.
The Long March Toward Crypto Mainstreaming: Sun Yuchen’s Steadfast Evangelism
The development of the crypto industry is an epic journey from grassroots to mainstream. When that forum post about trading bitcoin for pizza was first made, few could have imagined that this idealistic experiment by cryptography enthusiasts would, fifteen years later, enter the most authoritative political center and become a significant force reshaping global political, financial, and cultural orders.
This transformation owes much to countless devoted evangelists and determined builders, among whom Sun Yuchen stands out as particularly notable. After more than a decade in the crypto space, he still maintains his original passion without the slightest sign of fatigue. On the technical front, through TRON, he has actively advanced stablecoin payments, building one of the world’s most active blockchain networks—an infrastructure indispensable to every Web3 user. Culturally, leveraging his immense personal influence and Huobi HTX’s strong brand legacy, he has created repeated breakthrough moments for cryptocurrencies. From the Buffett lunch to the million-dollar banana artwork, from appearing on the cover of Forbes magazine to inviting Huobi HTX users on a space journey, Sun Yuchen has opened windows for the public into the crypto world, guiding more people to understand the allure of blockchain and digital currencies.
Beyond this, Sun Yuchen—renowned for his strategic foresight—is pioneering a new path toward mass crypto adoption. From late last year to early this year, he invested twice in the Trump family’s crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLFI), totaling up to $75 million, and joined as an advisor. At TOKEN2049 Dubai, he engaged in friendly conversation with Eric Trump, the president’s second son. Subsequently, WLFI’s stablecoin USD1 launched globally on Huobi HTX and is set to be integrated into the TRON network. In fact, long before traditional Wall Street financial giants entered crypto, and well before heated debates over crypto legislation emerged among U.S. politicians from both parties, Sun Yuchen had already begun positioning himself in the American market and cultivating ties with the Trump family. What drives such strategy? Let Sun Yuchen explain it himself.
"I believed early on that President Trump would bring many positive changes to the cryptocurrency space. After his election, the entire crypto world was revitalized," said Sun Yuchen. By serving as an advisor, "I am building a bridge between the crypto industry and the President—a bridge that may, in some sense, also serve future communication between China and the U.S. My original intention is to establish a good relationship with the Trump family and bring more people from the traditional world into the blockchain ecosystem. We will continue our long-term collaboration with President Trump’s crypto initiatives to drive the advancement and growth of our entire industry."
Behind the Trump Dinner: A New Chapter in Crypto Development
During his first term, Trump dismissed bitcoin with disdain. Now, however, bitcoin has become a crucial lever in his re-election victory and a key agenda item in his second presidency. Hosting this dinner makes clear that mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies has reached unprecedented heights. As Sun Yuchen remarked at the event, "Not long ago, people in crypto were constantly under pressure—we could never have held such a grand gathering in Washington, bringing together all industry participants across America to jointly build the crypto sector." This is not merely a marketing stunt, but evidence that the U.S. political landscape is re-evaluating the value of crypto assets and blockchain technology: they are now seen not only as tools for financial transformation but also as vehicles to engage younger voters and construct new economic networks.
And on Pizza Day itself, when Sun Yuchen stepped onto the global political stage—the symbolic heart of power—with the achievements and vision of the crypto industry, it was no coincidence. It was a tangible manifestation of crypto’s shift from the margins to the center.
Sun Yuchen is not only an industry leader but also a tech diplomat who has maintained long-term dialogue with multiple sovereign governments. At this dinner, his role extended beyond that of a guest—he was a messenger and a dialogue partner, representing the crypto world’s olive branch to traditional institutions and serving as a guide for mainstream systems exploring the crypto frontier.
When Trump’s hand shook Sun Yuchen’s, the divide between mainstream and crypto worlds accelerated its dissolution, gradually ushering in an era of integration. During this critical transition—from “anti-establishment” to “influencing the establishment”—driven by Sun Yuchen and countless other builders, the industry will move beyond mere technological competition to actively participate in shaping global rules. With the signing of the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act, the revision process of the GENIUS Stablecoin Act underway, and bitcoin surpassing $110,000… perhaps the future the crypto world has long pursued has already arrived.
From Pizza to Banquet: The Legend Continues
Bitcoin Pizza Day is more than just a holiday—it is a form of “commemoration.” It reminds us that all great things begin with small attempts—two pizzas, a trade between two geeks, a piece of code that once seemed meaningless.
Today, as leaders of the crypto world raise glasses with the President of the United States, we realize that the legendary story of buying those pizzas hasn’t ended—it is being rewritten in a new way.
The more important question is: how will we write the next 15 years?
Sun Yuchen is still running. And each of us is a fellow traveler in this mighty tide of history.
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