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- Alexis Ohanian wants to buy TikTok and bring it on-chain using blockchain technology.
- His plan would give users control over their data and allow creators to own their audiences.
Frank McCourt announced that Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, has joined his bid to buy out TikTok’s operations in the U.S. Ohanian will be on the advisory board and will help the company leverage social media and technology investments.
Exciting news for the digital world…
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
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) March 4, 2025
Ohanian was involved in creating online communities and was a co-founder of Reddit while still a student at the University of Virginia. He later sold the platform to Condé Nast in 2006 but rejoined the company again in 2014 to help with a restructuring.
McCourt noted Ohanian ability to engage both the tech and the general public. He said that Ohanian’s comprehension of social media’s growth will aid in enhancing the bid, which McCourt calls “The People’s Bid.”
“We’re setting a new standard for what’s possible in digital communities,” Ohanian stated. “A TikTok for the people, by the people. Let’s see if we can pull this off.”
Potential Features of an On-Chain TikTok
More details about the specifics of this blockchain plan are still sparse. However, it is believed that if TikTok is built on-chain, the users would be the original data owners, and creators would directly control their audience. This aligns with the Web3 principles, where power is devolved from centralized platforms to the people.
Although Ohanian has not revealed an actionable strategy, analysts believe that an on-chain TikTok might lead to the blockchain-based monetization of content. They could also include payment for micropayments in cryptocurrency that would enable content creators to be directly compensated for their work. Furthermore, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) could be incorporated in the same manner as Reddit did with its digital assets.
It is still unknown which blockchain infrastructure will be chosen. Some speculate that Ohanian will prefer a single Layer 2 solution. In contrast, others think that Reddit’s previous experience with Layer 2 networks is negative, and that’s why he might want to use Layer 1 instead.
In addition, regulatory issues remain a key obstacle. However, given the latest trends, such as the SEC scaling back legal action against crypto exchanges, integration with any blockchain must conform to U.S. bodies. Ohanian and his team will also face these legal issues in order to make the change successful.
Ohanian TikTok Bidding Race
Ohanian’s attempt to buy out TikTok is coming at a time when the company is enjoying massive acquisition battles. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is facing more pressure from the government to divest its operations in the United States due to security reasons. The app currently faces a deadline set by U.S. regulators that demands it be sold to an American company or be shut down.
In his bid to the White House, McCourt has expounded on how he intends to finance his campaigns and provide strategies to deal with issues of security in the country. Other competitors are Jesse Tinsley, MrBeast, a YouTube personality and Reid Rasner, an entrepreneur. However, to this date, ByteDance has not disclosed the terms of the sale, nor has it determined a valuation for the platform, which remains ambiguous.
TikTok was recently temporarily banned in the US before the government, headed by Vice President JD Vance, allowed it to be sold for 75 days. If ByteDance decides not to sell, it still has the option of closing down TikTok entirely in the United States.
