Beijing Internet Court ruled in favor of TRON founder Justin Sun in a prolonged defamation case against Beijing SINA Internet Information Service Co. Ltd, operator of finance.sina.com.
The Dec. 31, 2024 verdict, which Sina declined to appeal by the Feb. 26, 2025 deadline, concludes a six-year legal battle stemming from allegations published in 2017 that the court determined to be false.
The lawsuit was initiated by Sun in response to multiple articles published by Sina from 2017 to 2022 that accused him of serious misconduct, including insider trading and being under investigation by the IRS and FBI.
The lawsuit began in March 2022 as a response to what Sun described as a relentless barrage of false information that portrayed him as a “controversial figure” within the crypto community.
“Everyone’s prejudices are like a towering mountain, and it takes the ‘foolish old man moves mountains’ spirit to break them down,” Sun remarked in a video statement addressing the resolution, referencing a Chinese fable to characterize his persistence throughout the lengthy legal process.
Per the court ruling, Sina must remove all infringing content related to the case, publish a public apology to Sun for 72 hours on their platform, and pay 20,000 RMB in damages for emotional distress plus additional related fees, totaling over 30,000 RMB.
Sun noted that SINA ultimately paid a higher combined sum, citing the court’s formal ruling as confirmation that several rumors circulating online were unfounded. The court specifically highlighted Sina’s failure to verify its claims before publication, reinforcing professional obligations for fact-checking within financial journalism.
This legal victory emerges amid broader regulatory developments for Sun and TRON. “Recently, the SEC also got in touch with us to work on a good solution,” Sun noted in his statement, suggesting progress in the organization’s compliance efforts beyond this case.
The resolution may rehabilitate Sun’s reputation following years of controversial coverage. “Throughout that time, the internet was flooded with all kinds of rumors about me, but there was no real resolution,” Sun stated, emphasizing the significance of having these allegations officially refuted through judicial channels.
For TRON DAO and its ecosystem, the ruling potentially strengthens institutional credibility at a critical juncture for blockchain adoption. The foundation characterized the outcome as reaffirming its leadership position within the industry while setting a precedent that may deter similar reporting practices against blockchain organizations.
The case’s conclusion removes a source of reported reputational strain for Sun and TRON.
Sun previously won another defamation suit against Chongqing Business Media Group in June 2024, which also alleged that he had participated in insider trading.
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