In an era where content is king and creators are at the heart of social media platforms, the ways in which these platforms support, reward, and empower creators are under constant scrutiny. Enter Own, a new social media startup with bold ambitions to reshape the creator economy by using blockchain technology and a unique token system to put more power—and revenue—directly into the hands of content creators.
The Social Media Landscape: A New Contender Emerges
The creator economy has exploded in recent years, with millions of users building careers by sharing content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. However, one of the biggest complaints from creators is the lack of transparency and fairness in how these platforms monetize content and distribute earnings. Revenue shares are often opaque, payout structures vary by region, and the platforms themselves keep a sizable portion of the pie.
Own aims to challenge this status quo. It’s positioning itself as a next-generation, swipeable-feed social app, blending the addictive, short-form video experiences of TikTok with text, images, direct messaging, and an emphasis on ownership and monetization.
How Own Works: Blockchain at the Core
Unlike its competitors, Own is built on the Base Layer 2 blockchain, which underpins the app’s approach to content ownership, security, and monetization. Every piece of content—be it a short video, a photo, or a text post—is recorded on the blockchain, establishing clear provenance and enabling creators to license, monetize, and protect their work more transparently than ever before.
The blockchain backbone also powers Own’s innovative tokenomics: every interaction on the platform is tied to a cryptocurrency called $OWN token. These tokens are at the heart of the creator monetization model.
Tokenized Monetization: A Fairer System for Creators
On Own, creators can earn $OWN tokens for every piece of content that garners engagement. There are no minimum requirements—creators don’t need to hit a certain number of followers or post counts before they start earning, a sharp contrast to the barriers found on other major platforms.
The tokens themselves are tradeable and can be cashed out, opening a path for creators everywhere—regardless of geography—to participate in the global creator economy. Significantly, Own commits to using a portion of its revenue to buy $OWN tokens on exchanges. This not only supports ongoing demand for the tokens but also provides a measure of price stability that is crucial for creators who want to rely on this system for consistent earnings.
Revenue Splits: More Money in Creators’ Pockets
One of Own’s headline features is its creator-friendly revenue split. Here’s how it stacks up:
- Tipping: Creators keep 80%, Own takes 20%
- Sponsorships: Creators keep 90%, Own takes 10%
- Own Shop (e-commerce): Creators keep 95%, Own takes 5%
By comparison, other social platforms often take a much larger cut, and payout structures can be confusing or change at a moment’s notice. According to Own, their model allows creators to earn up to 50% more than on other mainstream platforms, thanks to both higher revenue shares and the ability to monetize a wider range of content and engagement.
Licensing and Content Control
A unique feature enabled by Own’s blockchain infrastructure is content licensing. If a creator’s content is licensed for use elsewhere, the creator keeps 90% of the revenue from that license, with Own retaining just 10%. This level of transparency and fairness in licensing agreements is rare in the industry and could be a major draw for creators who worry about their work being used without permission or fair compensation.
Community-Driven Ranking and Moderation
To ensure high-quality content rises to the top, Own borrows from Reddit’s playbook, employing upvote and downvote mechanisms that allow the community to determine what gets seen and what fades away. This democratizes exposure and encourages genuine engagement, rather than just popularity for its own sake.
Roadmap and Growth
Own isn’t just a concept; it’s already in the hands of users. The app is available on both iOS and Android, with roughly 40,000 people on the waitlist at launch and an impressive $5 million in seed funding to back its development and marketing efforts.
The platform’s monetization and token rewards system is slated to roll out in the third quarter of 2025, while an integrated Own Shop—allowing creators to sell digital goods or services directly—will enter beta in the fourth quarter.
Global Accessibility and Opportunity
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of Own is its global accessibility. Traditional platforms like TikTok or YouTube often restrict or limit monetization in certain regions, leaving many creators excluded from full participation in the creator economy. Because $OWN tokens are tradeable and based on decentralized blockchain infrastructure, creators anywhere in the world can finally access fair compensation for their efforts, provided they have internet access and a digital wallet.
Competition and Differentiation
Own joins a growing list of social platforms attempting to leverage blockchain for creator monetization, including Steemit, BitClout, and others. However, Own sets itself apart by focusing on short-form video, integrated e-commerce, and a more efficient, transparent revenue model.
The platform’s dual focus on content ownership (secured by blockchain) and aggressive, creator-first monetization splits give it a distinctive place in the crowded field of social media startups.
The Big Picture: Is Tokenized Social Media the Future?
The launch of Own comes at a time when more creators are seeking alternatives to the centralized, profit-driven models of mainstream social platforms. With its blend of familiar social features, innovative blockchain infrastructure, and a robust system for direct monetization, Own represents a major experiment in the future of the creator economy.
If successful, Own could not only provide creators with better earnings and more control over their content, but also push the entire industry toward greater transparency, fairness, and accessibility.
As the app continues to roll out new features and attract creators from around the world, the tech and creator communities will be watching closely to see if Own’s vision of a tokenized, creator-first social network can deliver on its promise—and perhaps change the very foundations of the social media landscape.
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