Recently, I’ve been pondering a question: why can some people seize opportunities amid the tide of the times, while most can only stand by and watch? Wu Jihan’s story may hold some answers for me.

When it comes to this name, almost no one in the cryptocurrency and mining circles doesn’t know him. But did you know that he started out as nothing more than an investment-banking analyst? In 2011, at the age of 25, after coming across Bitcoin, Wu Jihan made what looked crazy at the time—he put all his savings into it. Many said it was gambling, but what he saw was the beginning of a financial revolution. To truly understand it, he even translated the Bitcoin white paper himself, and helped establish one of the earliest Bitcoin communities in China. Even looking back now, the drive and execution back then is still quite astonishing.

What really changed the game was Bitmain, which he founded in 2018. With its Antminer series products, the company rapidly dominated the global mining-rig market, and its annual revenue once reached $2.5 billion. But Wu Jihan didn’t stop there—he founded Bitdeer again in 2019 to further expand the global mining market. By 2024, Bitdeer successfully listed on NASDAQ. Although its valuation was cut from $4 billion to $1.18 billion, it still remains a top player in the industry.

However, Wu Jihan’s story isn’t only about success. In the 2017 Bitcoin Cash hard fork event, he argued that Bitcoin’s scalability problems could be solved by expanding block capacity, which ultimately led to a split within the community. Some people say he had foresight and vision, while others say he destroyed unity. This controversy by itself shows his influence in the industry—decisions that can push the entire ecosystem to diverge aren’t something anyone can make.

From 2011 to now, the challenges Wu Jihan has faced are far more numerous than most people could imagine. And it’s precisely these storms and waves that have shaped his position in the cryptocurrency and mining sectors. Today, Bitcoin’s importance in global finance is becoming increasingly clear, and Wu Jihan and the companies he founded will continue to play key roles in this transformation.

This story isn’t over yet. As the market evolves, how Wu Jihan will further drive innovation across the industry is definitely worth ongoing attention.