Mark Cuban Eyes Investment in TikTok Alternative Using AT Protocol

Mark Cuban's Vision for a TikTok Substitute

Entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban has expressed his willingness to financially support a TikTok substitute built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol. This announcement came through a video Cuban posted on TikTok, highlighting his proactive stance ahead of the much-anticipated U.S. TikTok ban. This ban, set to take effect on Sunday unless paused by the U.S. Supreme Court, has prompted many users to explore alternative video-sharing platforms, such as the Chinese app RedNote. In the tech industry, Cuban’s vision shines a light on the potential of a more open social ecosystem powered by the technology that currently backs Bluesky’s network.

The Role of the AT Protocol

The AT Protocol represents a next-generation open protocol tailored for decentralized social media applications. This innovative approach seeks to address perceived deficiencies in the existing decentralized protocol ActivityPub, which underlies platforms like Mastodon. Although Bluesky presently serves as the primary showcasing application for the AT Protocol, numerous other services are emerging to utilize this technology.

Rising Interest in Open Social Apps

The demand for open social applications is increasing, as evidenced by Bluesky’s substantial growth in user base following the U.S. presidential elections. The platform has expanded to over 27.6 million users, a significant leap from the previous 10 million reported in September. Additionally, news recently surfaced about an impending Bluesky client, "Flashes," aimed at prioritizing images over text.

Cuban's Invitation to Innovators

Mark Cuban has expressed his desire to support the development of a platform that rivals TikTok but operates on the AT Protocol. In his video, Cuban elaborates on the benefits of the AT Protocol, emphasizing its capability for individuals to create personalized social networking servers and applications.

"I would be open to investing in supporting anybody—or somebody who creates a TikTok replacement built on the AT Protocol. So if you’ve got that ability, let me know in the comments. If you create an MVP—a minimum viable product—so I can see it, that’s all the better, because obviously, I think you’d have a whole lot of support," Cuban states.

Advantages of Building on the AT Protocol

Emphasizing the extensibility of the AT Protocol, Cuban notes it prevents any singular entity from dominating or closing the platform, citing the protocol's account portability as a critical feature. This capability means users can transition their accounts to different servers without losing followers or content.

Competing with Established Platforms

Cuban’s interest in the AT Protocol goes beyond expanding open social platforms; it's also a strategic move to rival Elon Musk's X. Cuban has publicly clashed with Musk over his handling of content moderation and misinformation on X.

Following his announcement, Cuban invited developers to engage and share their ideas by commenting on his TikTok post, emphasizing his open-door approach to innovation in the social media landscape.