17h05 ▪
4
min learn ▪ by
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, confirmed his intention to take part in the acquisition of TikTok’s American operations to rework it right into a blockchain-based platform. This initiative comes at a time when the Chinese language app is going through an entire ban in the United States beneath the Trump administration.

Alexis Ohanian desires to purchase TikTok US
On March 3, Alexis Ohanian formally introduced on X (previously Twitter) his participation in the acquisition of TikTok US. “I’m now formally one among the folks making an attempt to purchase TikTok US – and to convey it on-chain,” he stated.
This effort is being carried out in collaboration with Undertaking Liberty, an initiative based by Frank McCourt, the place Ohanian will function a strategic advisor specializing in social media.
The venture relies on the use of “Frequency,” a decentralized social community protocol constructed on the Polkadot infrastructure. This blockchain expertise would enable customers and content material creators to retain possession of their private information and viewers. “Customers ought to personal their information. Creators also needs to personal their viewers. Interval,” emphasised Ohanian.
The ambition expressed by the consortium goes past a easy acquisition. They goal to “reorganize the platform to enable folks to management their digital identities and information,” in accordance to McCourt’s statements. This imaginative and prescient displays a rising development in direction of the decentralization of social networks amid issues relating to information safety.
A race in opposition to time in a tense geopolitical context
Ohanian’s initiative comes at a time when the Trump administration is intensifying its stress on ByteDance, accusing the firm of massively amassing information from American customers on behalf of the Chinese language authorities. American lawmakers have additionally handed a legislation demanding that the Chinese language firm promote its American operations, or TikTok can be banned on American soil.
The race for acquisition is attracting different heavyweight contenders. Sources point out that ByteDance is considering Elon Musk as a possible purchaser for a deal estimated between 40 and 50 billion {dollars}. Paradoxically, the head of X has publicly opposed the ban on the platform, citing freedom of expression.
Ohanian will not be a novice in blockchain. Underneath his management, Reddit invested in cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon) and launched initiatives reminiscent of “Reddit Collectible Avatars”, a set of NFTs primarily based on Polygon. Regardless of some blockchain tasks being deserted by Reddit at the finish of 2023, Ohanian stays satisfied of this expertise’s potential to rework social media.
In abstract, this energy battle for management of TikTok completely symbolizes the rising geopolitical and technological tensions between Washington and Beijing. No matter the final result, this restructuring may profoundly redefine information possession fashions and governance of social platforms on a worldwide scale.
Maximize your Cointribune expertise with our “Learn to Earn” program! For each article you learn, earn factors and entry unique rewards. Join now and begin incomes advantages.
Passionné par le Bitcoin, j’aime explorer les méandres de la blockchain et des cryptos et je partage mes découvertes avec la communauté. Mon rêve est de vivre dans un monde où la vie privée et la liberté financière sont garanties pour tous, et je crois fermement que Bitcoin est l’outil qui peut rendre cela doable.
DISCLAIMER
The views, ideas, and opinions expressed on this article belong solely to the creator, and shouldn’t be taken as funding recommendation. Do your personal analysis earlier than taking any funding selections.