On November 21, 2024 (UTC), Justin Sun, Global Advisor of HTX and Founder of TRON, recently made headlines by purchasing Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” for a staggering $6.2 million at Sotheby’s Now and Contemporary Evening Sale. The artwork, featuring a banana taped to a wall, has now earned the title of the most expensive fruit ever produced. The news rapidly went viral, fueling a wave of discussions across the internet worldwide. People are now speculating about the true intentions behind this crypto mogul’s latest move.
Justin attended HTX Live’s special program on November 22 (UTC), where he shared his story with the banana and engaged in discussions with renowned crypto influencers and blockchain media about the significance of this art auction for the crypto ecosystem.
The Viral Duct-Taped Banana: A Phenomenal Meme
Justin stated that he had known about the “duct-taped banana” for quite some time, but it was through meme coins that he truly grasped a deep understanding of this artwork. In his work with the asset listing business on the HTX platform, Justin did extensive research on the meme ecosystem and came across a meme featuring a banana (BAN, listed on HTX in late October this year), igniting his interest in “Comedian” and the auction.
Justin was just taking a shot when he placed a bid on the banana, but to his surprise, he actually won! What came next was beyond anything he could have imagined.”I never thought this banana would become such a sensation. People might know it’s big in the crypto space, but I never thought it would go viral beyond that circle.” Justin said. “I watched my WeChat Index skyrocket, even surpassing Pony Ma (Tencent CEO Ma Huateng) at one point. This banana made headlines in the New York Times, BBC, CNN, and more. It becomes even hotter than the G20 summit.”
What astonished Justin was the fact that despite the auction showcasing several items valued at nearly $20 million, “almost 90% of attendees came just for the banana during the preview, while the other $18 million worth of collections were largely ignored,” he added. “It reminded me of meme coins, which once stole the spotlight from Bitcoin and became the market’s darling. I hope this artwork inspires deep thought and bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”
From Buffett’s Lunch to the Banana Flying to Space
The lunch with Warren Buffett is another of Justin’s auction successes that cannot be overlooked. Reflecting on that lunch, Justin recalled giving Buffett two pieces of advice: “I advised Buffett to invest most of his cash in two investment targets. One was Tesla, which was priced very low at the time, and the other was cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. Four years later, the world has seen massive changes, with Musk’s rise and the booming crypto sector. Unfortunately, Buffett did not take the advice, and it now seems like a missed opportunity.”
Musk also has a rather interesting connection with bananas. On its sixth test flight, Starship not only carried an artificial banana as a zero-gravity indicator, but its exterior also sported a banana-themed paint job. When asked about the fate of the auctioned banana, Justin remarked, “I hope to attach this banana to Musk’s SpaceX rocket and send it to Mars. It would be a scene full of meme-worthy humor. Imagine a banana strapped to a rocket, hurtling through the cosmos toward Mars or the Moon, then being auctioned off for charity upon its return to Earth. Such an act would be visually captivating, perfectly embodying the spirit of memes while showcasing how crypto culture can transcend boundaries and break conventions.
Banana: A Bridge Between the Public and the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem
Expensive as the $6.2 million banana is, it acts like a lever, capturing worldwide attention. To Justin, the banana represents the unique aesthetic of the crypto community. Unlike traditional art, it carries a much stronger emotional impact. “The art world and the crypto space are closely intertwined. PEOPLE, for example, was also connected to art auctions, where people came together to fund a bid for a copy of the U.S. Constitution. However, the points that spark interest in these two communities are distinct. The crypto space, unlike the art world, excels at using humor and rebellion to convey culture, enabling it to more easily reach a broader audience. This aesthetic, which resonates more with the emotions of ordinary people, may be the thing that sets it apart from the traditional art,” Justin explained.
For this auction, guests attending HTX Live’s livestream shared their insights and reflections. Crypto influencer DaDa remarked, “The banana artwork is a prime example of Meme culture. Its creation was intended to challenge the traditional concept of value in the art world through humor while evoking resonance with its absurd expression. The crypto community and Meme culture share a natural affinity, as cryptocurrencies inherently embody an anti-authoritarian and decentralized spirit. The global attention generated by this auction can help bridge the gap between traditional and crypto cultures, accelerating the globalization of Web3. Through this artwork, more people unfamiliar with the crypto market will come to see that Bitcoin is on the verge of breaking $100,000 and begin to appreciate the cultural dimensions of the crypto space.”
Jack Kong, the founder of Nano Labs, believes that “Meme coins are an inherent part of blockchain’s financial culture, with a promising long-term future. Essentially, Bitcoin, in its early days, was also regarded as a meme, yet it evolved into a global financial miracle. This proves that memes can achieve the impossible. The true significance of Justin’s auction is not what he has contributed to the meme sector, but how he himself has become a meme.”
According to HTX spokesperson @HTX_liuyego, Justin’s $6.2 million purchase of “Comedian” represents a remarkable milestone in both the history of art and cryptocurrency. He stated, “This will inspire more creators to enter the crypto space, enriching the ecosystem as a whole. I’m excited to see how this event will be re-evaluated in the years to come.”
