Crypto mogul Justin Sun strikes again with $6.2M banana art deal

Justin Sun, a colorful and controversial crypto figure known for numerous costly publicity stunts, has acquired a $6.2 million art piece – a banana taped to a wall.

The installation, titled ‘Comedian’ and created by Maurizio Cattelan, was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York "after over 6 minutes of heated bidding." The buyer, Justin Sun, who is also the founder of the Tron (TRX) blockchain, was introduced by the auction house as a "Chinese collector."

Sun himself described the piece as a "cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community." He further announced that he plans to eat the banana in the coming days "as part of this unique artistic experience."

In a separate post on the X platform, Sun stated he is "willing to donate my banana to Elon Musk, tape it to the body of a SpaceX rocket, and send it to both Mars and the Moon!"

I’m willing to donate my banana to Elon Musk, tape it to the body of a SpaceX rocket, and send it to both Mars and the Moon! 🚀🍌🌕🔴 pic.twitter.com/J1eOJEEfp4

undefined H.E. Justin Sun 🍌 (@justinsuntron) November 21, 2024

In the meantime, the Comedian banana is being used to promote Tron and the Sun-controlled BitTorrent. Other artists are also using the opportunity to create new works inspired by the piece.

BANANA SEASON pic.twitter.com/m1jUw9H3fQ

undefined beeple (@beeple) November 21, 2024

This latest stunt has left the cryptoverse bewildered. Social media commentators are asking, "Brother, how much money do you have?" while congratulating Sun on entering the "Banana Zone." They question whether he really bought a banana taped to a wall and conclude that "the art world's most expensive potassium supplement proves money can't buy taste, but it can certainly buy attention."

Among Sun’s previous stunts is a $4.5 million bid to have lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett in 2020, an auction Buffett regularly hosts for charity. Sun also retained the title of Ambassador after serving as Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization.

More recently, as reported by Cybernews.com, Justin Sun was appointed acting prime minister of Liberland, a 7-square-kilometer experimental microstate.

Meanwhile, TRX, the native token of the Tron blockchain, is ranked as the 10th largest crypto asset by market capitalization (around $17 billion at the time of writing). While TRX has more than doubled in price over the past year, it remains 14% below its all-time high reached seven years ago.