- Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is bidding for TikTok US.
- The plan is to bring TikTok “on-chain” using blockchain tech.
- ByteDance is under pressure to sell TikTok US to an American firm.
- If this happens, it could change social media as we know it.
The battle for TikTok US is heating up, and now Reddit’s co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, wants in. He’s not just looking to buy the platform—he wants to put TikTok on the blockchain.
Ohanian is backing a project called “The People’s Bid for TikTok”, led by billionaire Frank McCourt. The goal? Give users real ownership of their data instead of letting big corporations control it.
🔥 LATEST: Reddit co-Founder Alexis Ohanian joins Project Liberty’s bid to buy TikTok and bring it on-chain. pic.twitter.com/MzTapYTF0l
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 4, 2025
This all comes as ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, faces major pressure from the US government. Lawmakers have made it clear: either move TikTok out of the US or sell it to an American company.
And Ohanian isn’t the only one interested. Elon Musk, MrBeast, and Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity have also reportedly thrown in bids up to $50 billion. But ByteDance hasn’t made a decision yet.
Exciting news for the digital world…
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) March 4, 2025
I'm officially now one of the people trying to buy TikTok US — and bring it on-chain.
TikTok has been a game-changer for creators, and it's future should be built by them↓ pic.twitter.com/SPq1Ppv1kK
Ohanian confirmed his move in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“I’m officially now one of the people trying to buy TikTok US — and bring it on-chain. TikTok has changed the game for creators, and its future should be built by them.”
If this deal goes through, it won’t just be one of the biggest social media acquisitions ever—it could completely change how social platforms work.
A Blockchain-Powered TikTok?
So what does “bringing TikTok on-chain” actually mean?
Ohanian wants to use the Frequency protocol on Polkadot (DOT) blockchain to decentralize TikTok. Instead of a single company owning all the data, users would have more control over their personal information.
⚡️TikTok to run on Polkadot Network
— Cult of Blockchain (@BlockchainCult) March 5, 2025
Frank McCourt and Reddit co-founder are bidding to acquire TikTok with plans to move the social app Onchain
⬇️
Frank McCourt's onchain is using the Frequency Network
⬇️
Frequency network is a Polkadot parachain and runs on Polkadot network… pic.twitter.com/KAD42MC57d
“Frequency will make this a reality. With transparency at its core, this new TikTok won’t just be fairer—it’ll be BETTER,” Ohanian posted.
If this happens, it could kick off a wave of decentralized social media platforms—where users aren’t just content creators but actual owners of their digital spaces.
Reddit has already been making big moves in AI, blockchain, and crypto. The company plans to charge big tech companies for access to Reddit user data, which will help train AI models. It has also invested in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Polygon (POL), showing its belief in Web3.With 170 million TikTok users in the US, a blockchain-powered TikTok would be a massive shift for social media. Whether the deal happens or not, one thing is clear—the future of social platforms is about to get interesting.
