Tech entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has joined businessman Frank McCourt’s bid to acquire TikTok’s US operations as a strategic adviser focused on social media and digital innovation. 

According to a Reuters report, Ohanian, who has been a vocal advocate for decentralization and user empowerment, he announced his involvement on Monday, stating that he envisions a future where users and creators have greater control over their data and audience.‍

A Vision for a User-Owned TikTok

McCourt, a billionaire real estate mogul and former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is leading Project Liberty, an effort to acquire and reshape TikTok’s US business. He calls his offer “The People’s Bid”, emphasizing a model where user data is managed transparently and creators retain ownership over their audience.

Ohanian, a longtime investor in tech startups like Instacart, Patreon, and OpenSea, sees this acquisition as an opportunity to reinvent social media using blockchain technology. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated:

“Users should own their data. Creators should own their audience. Period.”

He added that Frequency, a blockchain-based social media infrastructure, would help turn these principles into reality by ensuring transparency and accountability.‍

Competitive Bidding War for TikTok US

McCourt’s bid faces competition from several high-profile investors looking to gain control of TikTok’s massive US user base, which includes over 170 million Americans. 

Among the other bidders is a group led by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley, which includes popular YouTube creator MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and Wyoming investor Reid Rasner.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future stems from the US government’s push to separate the platform from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, due to national security concerns. 

While ByteDance has not yet defined which assets would be included in a sale or set a valuation, McCourt revealed that his team has been in communication with the White House, outlining financial backing, technological plans, and national security considerations for the bid.

The situation remains fluid as the US government evaluates potential buyers. Former President Donald Trump—who had previously sought to ban TikTok during his first term—issued a 75-day delay on the enforcement of a ban, giving Vice President JD Vance the responsibility of overseeing the sale process.

However, ByteDance has yet to fully engage in the process, and McCourt has suggested that the company might even shut down TikTok’s US operations rather than sell.

Ohanian’s involvement signals a broader shift toward decentralization in social media, a concept he has long championed. His focus on on-chain infrastructure aligns with efforts to create platforms that prioritize user autonomy, moving away from traditional models where corporations control data and algorithms.

As the sale process unfolds, the future of TikTok’s US operations remains uncertain. Whether McCourt’s “People’s Bid” succeeds or another contender wins, the battle over one of the world’s most influential social media platforms is far from over.