If you are a Reddit user, you are probably familiar with Reddit avatars. Launched back in October 2020, the feature lets users create personalized avatars to represent their digital selves on the platform. It looks like users are liking the feature and therefore, Reddit has now launched a limited edition of collectible avatars for Redditors to purchase.
Collectible Avatars on Reddit
According to Reddit, Collectible Avatars are limited-edition avatars from independent artists in partnership with the company. Users will have the option to use Collectible Avatar as their avatar or mix-and-match the avatar gear with other Reddit avatar gear and accessories. Furthermore, Reddit says that profile images of Collectible Avatar owners will have a glow-like effect.
Reddit currently stores these avatars on the Polygon blockchain. The company mentions that it chose to use Polygon due to its low-cost transactions and sustainability goals. The purchased avatars are stored in Vault, a blockchain-powered wallet on Reddit. Notably, Reddit says you don’t need cryptocurrency to buy these avatars. Instead, you can purchase it with fiat currencies (read: the usual money). A report by TechCrunch hints at the prices to be $9.99, $24.99, $49.99, $74.99, or $99.99.
If all of this sounds familiar to you, that’s because it is. Collectible Avatar is essentially Reddit’s take on NFTs. However, the company has chosen not to use the term in its announcement, presumably due to the negative connotation attached to NFTs. If you are still blissfully unaware of NFTs and are interested to know what it is all about, you can check our linked NFT explainer. Reddit has joined many companies jumping onto the NFT bandwagon, including Instagram.
Collectible Avatars will start rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, you can join the r/CollectiveAvatars subreddit for a sneak peek. The company also mentioned that Collectible Avatars are one of the early steps to exploring Blockchain technology on the platform.
So, how do you feel about the introduction of NFTs on Reddit? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.