TikTok might be going away soon in the U.S., but Tilted hopes to launch a gamer-focused social app on iOS to help save the creator economy. Tilted aims to launch its app on January 31.
TikTok could be outlawed in the U.S. as soon as January 19 over concerns about its Chinese ownership, as it hasn’t gotten a reprieve from the Supreme Court. The Trump administration will likely decide its fate, or Beijing-based parent company ByteDance could choose to comply with a federal law forcing it to sell its stake in the app. TikTokers have been scrambling for another platform, migrating to platforms like RedNote, but the Chinese government wants Americans separated from the Chinese audience and the U.S. TikTokers may just get banned there.
And so Tilted, a Web3 social platform, will throw its hat in the ring as a replacement. Tilted in a social media app that users blockchain tech to enable users to earn passive income.
Lingfeng Innovation Fund led the round and the company was incubated by Binance Labs.
Designed to prioritize monetization, Tilted integrates ecommerce and social selling tools, enabling creators to earn passive income through affiliate marketing, ad revenue, and direct sales. The platform’s user-friendly interface and analytics dashboard mirror the familiarity of TikTok, making it an attractive option for creators and advertisers alike, the company said.
Tilted says it is pretty much the love child of Twitch and TikTok, if they had a baby. But what makes Tilted different? It has Web3 ecommerce features that allow players to monetize their digital collectibles so they don’t sit idle collecting digital dust. It allows users to buy sell and trade their game skins for fun and for profit. Here’s a demo of the app.
The company was founded by leaders who have built social media platforms. Apollo Green was a cofounder from WorldStar.com and Sarah Austin was the first beta tester and content creator at Twitch. John Brackens, a Activision network operations manager and an exec at Esports Entertainment Network, which went public on NASDAQ, is also a founder.
“Tilted’s analytics tools are a dream for advertisers,” said Austin, in a statement. “The ability to directly tie creator campaigns to sales is a game-changer. There’s a reason why Amazon invested $300 million into its live selling and Twitch’s valuation is now at $46 billion.”
The game item marketplace has skins from triple-A gaming publishers, including Web2 and Web3 games, endorsements from NBA Champion Ron Artest previously legally named Metta World Peace, and musician Akon.
The company has partnerships with Side Quest, game assets from Web3 games like Engine of Fury, BR1, PlayZap, Binance Fan Token, Binance Labs, BNB chain and CoinMarketCap Labs.
Tilted is building with the Sui blockchain to develop the world’s first Liquidity pool for web2 digital assets, as an L2 RWA infrastructure layer for Sui (and soon BNB Chain) with an AI and DePIN technology infrastructure network for decentralization across 100 blockchain networks.
Tilted’s investors include Lingfeng Innovation Fund (LIF) with participation from prominent tech and gaming veterans including VC firm AZA Ventures, Wise3 Ventures, Stakes Capital, and 336 industry key opinion leaders including TikTok-ers with a total reach of over 55 million and X KOLs like Ash Crypto.
Nicole Zhang of Lingfeng Innovation Fund (LIF) participated alongside angel investor Brian D Evans of BDE Ventures, seasoned tech investor Jett Tang, and Sudarshan Kadam former Product Head at The Walt Disney Company gaming.
Tilted wants save TikTok refugees from the U.S. TikTok ban. It was built specifically for the gaming community to connect players of any level with other players to buy sell and trade their favorite game assets, collectibles, and skins.
“Tilted is a solution for the U.S. TikTok refugees. Tilted is lowering the friction to a more engaging relationship between players and their game assets by leveraging RWA technologies,” said Nicole Zhang, former executive director of Binance Labs and investor in Tilted by way of her new fund LIF, in a statement. “By using Blockchain, meaningful experiences – previously not easy to deliver, can be unlocked on Tilted to give gamers rewards and incentives.”
Tilted reimagines the RWA buying and collecting experience for all players, not just Web3-natives. Players will be able to transact with credit or debit cards in over 135 fiat currencies, in addition to top cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Details and timings of new games will be revealed in the coming weeks. Pre-register and learn more at Tilted.xyz.
“Tilted is a place where gamers go to watch and buy. It’s cool. I dig it,” said Metta World Peace, NBA All-Star turned tech investor, in a statement.
Built on Sui blockchain protocol, an energy efficient blockchain for gaming, Tilted’s mission is to be a sustainable and low-cost Proof of Stake L2 solution with a permissionless system for SUI chain, and BNB soon. Tilted’s platform will build on Sui for high throughput and low transaction costs to deliver an industry-first scale solution.
Tilted’s Gaming Loyalty Alliance Program will also champion influential new game developers through continual airdrops, financial rewards, and incentives. The initial game developers in this program include an already active user base of over 1 million daily active users.
“Blockchain can democratize game asset ownership and bring economic empowerment to players and streamers,” said Apollo Green, CEO and cofounder of Tilted, in a statement. “We’re building a TikTok competitor that adds a game item marketplace with a unique TikTok Shop user interface. We aim to provide 80,000 jobs to gaming content creators and TikTok refugees should the U.S. ban TikTok.”
Tilted is a graduate of the Binance Labs MVB, Most Valuable Builder, incubator program in collaboration with BNB Chain and CMC.
Tilted was named after the most valuable game asset from Fortnite. The founders met playing Fortnite and love the original map that Epic Games recently brought back, resurrected from the dead. When they did that was when the founders called their company Tilted.
Tilted already has a popular Fortnite map and active Discord community where the company gives away $8,000 a month in Fortnite scrims. Early on, the company started Tilted Cup and teamed up with the top Fortnite game developer. The map is now a top 10 map in Fornite by traffic with 1.58 million daily active players.
The app will be free to download and it will have $8,000 a week in cash prizes to winners of its esports tournaments, and it will give away tickets to popular music artist shows like Akon and others. If the users engage in transactions for game skins or game items, Tilted takes just a 2.5% cut.
Tilted said esports game item limited edition digital collectibles can be forged in Tilted’s Fortnite map or purchased exclusively on Tilted. The app is available in the Apple iPhone store, and Tilted is set to launch on Android very soon.
Tilted said it is different from RedNote in that Tilted gives players a marketplace to buy sell and trade game skins and items for profit similar to TikTok Shop user interface.
TikTok is leaving a big hole in the market, as its impact on the U.S. economy has been profound. According to a report by Oxford Economics, the platform contributed $24.2 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2023, supporting over 224,000 jobs through its vibrant ecosystem of content creators, small businesses, and advertisers. The ban threatens to dismantle this ecosystem, disrupting the livelihoods of creators who depend on TikTok for revenue and leaving advertisers without a crucial avenue for reaching engaged audiences.
For creators like Mika Daime, the transition to Tilted has been transformative. Lynch, who runs a cosplay clothing business, reported earning approximately $12,000 a month through live auctions on the TikTok platform. But now that she is forced to make the switch she’s not worried about her business, “Tilted’s tools for live selling are game-changers,” she said. “It’s not just about engagement; it’s about income. And Tilted delivers both.”
Tilted’s emphasis on monetization has attracted a growing community of creators who value financial independence, the company said. This focus aligns with broader trends in the creator economy, where platforms like TikTok and Instagram have long faced criticism for failing to provide adequate revenue-sharing opportunities.
The stakes are high. With inflation squeezing household budgets, passive income opportunities have become more critical than ever. Recent polling reveals that nearly 9% of Americans now earn income through social media platforms, leveraging affiliate marketing, ad revenue, and product sales to make ends meet. This trend is particularly pronounced in regions like Los Angeles, where creators have been hit hard by a combination of economic pressures and natural disasters like the fires.
To facilitate the transition from TikTok, Tilted is rolling out a series of initiatives, including onboarding support for creators and targeted advertising campaigns to raise awareness among users and brands. The platform is also leveraging its partnerships with prominent influencers to amplify its message.
“The creator economy is at a crossroads,” said Austin. “Platforms like Tilted are not just alternatives; they are the future.”
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