Reddit, a popular discussion platform, has started airdropping NFT collectible avatars to its most “diehard” users. The reward is based on “karma points,” which reward users for their contributions to the community. Here is everything we know so far about the airdrop.
- Reddit drew inspiration for the avatars from its mascot, the “Snoo” character
- Users can choose between avatars in four styles, including “Aww Friends” and “Drip Squad”
- The platform did not limit its selection to specific communities
- The move represents Reddit’s latest attempt to utilize blockchain technology
While Reddit is avoiding the term “NFT” in marketing the airdrop, the avatars fit that qualification. They are available for purchase on OpenSea, with the floor price of one collection being as low as $15 and the floor price of another being $42.
Along with the airdrop, Reddit has rolled out a larger “collectible avatar” sale where users can purchase avatars to use on the site. These avatars have a price range between $9.99 and $99. It is uncertain how many have sold thus far.
Reddit’s avoidance of the “NFT” term is likely due to perceived future backlash. Non-fungible tokens have been a controversial topic, with Reddit users frequently criticizing the space, the rampant speculation, and the environmental damage NFTs may cause.
To mitigate any criticisms of environmental damage from the avatar collection, Reddit minted the airdropped avatars on the Polygon blockchain, a Layer-2 scaling solution for the Ethereum Mainnet. Polygon has the reputation as the greenest blockchain and released a “Green Manifesto” earlier this year.
Social Media Companies Take to NFTs
Although Reddit’s integration of NFTs may come as a shock to some, to others, it is not altogether surprising. Social media companies and popular websites have long expressed plans to use NFTs on their platforms since the rise of NFTs in 2021. Here are three stories Rarity Sniper has covered about the intersection between social media and non-fungible tokens.
Three weeks ago, Instagram announced that it was expanding its NFT pilot program to more than 100 countries. Now, users all across the world can share their digital collectibles on the platform to garner attention, likes, and responses.
Seven months ago, Reddit first shared that it would integrate NFTs on its platform. It did so during peak NFT bull season, saying it would experiment with allowing users to verify the NFTs they used as avatars on the website.
Also seven months ago, Twitter announced that it had added NFT avatar verification to its platform. Now, users on the home of the NFT community would be able to signify that they owned the NFT used as their avatar through a special hexagonal frame.
In addition to announcing its experimentation with NFTs seven months ago, Reddit recently launched an NFT avatar marketplace. With this latest airdrop, there’s the likelihood that it’ll keep finding ways to integrate NFTs and use the blockchain to enhance its platform.