Hey everyone, Bit here. I’m here to write about the hidden blockchain in Reddit.

For people who cringe at crypto: see the last section!

What do I mean by ”Reddit’s hidden crypto”?

In 2022, Reddit introduced a feature called Collectible Avatars. It allows people to go to the Style Avatar menu in the Reddit mobile app and buy special Reddit avatars they can use as their profile picture. Purchasing them looks like any ordinary in-app purchase, and a few times Reddit gave them out for free (I happen to be a recipient of 2 free Reddit avatars).

Turns out that the Reddit Collectible Avatars are actually backed by the blockchain, specifically Polygon (a subchain of Ethereum). Reddit doesn’t involve cryptocurrencies in the purchase process, but your Collectible Avatars are a part of the blockchain.

How do I know if I have these avatars?

It’s simple to find out if you own Collectible Avatars or if you have a Vault.

1. Open the Reddit mobile app.
2. Tap your profile picture (top right corner).
3. Tap Vault.
4. If you see some Collectible Avatars, or a screen that says Vault at the top with a back and settings button, you have a Vault.

What do I do if I have a Vault?

There’s nothing you have to do if you find out you have a Reddit Vault. But, I would recommend noting down the Recovery Phrase and keeping it somewhere safe.

To get the Recovery Phrase:

1. Follow the steps from the last section.
2. Tap the settings icon.
3. Tap Recovery Phrase.

You‘ll see a set of 12 words. Like this:

width donkey human master wage energy noise space hidden inflict kind flock

Keep these words safe. Anyone who holds these words can access your Vault, which is also called a wallet.

Is there anything else the Vault can do?

Yes, there is! Once you have those 12 words, you can put them into a different app (I recommend https://rainbow.me.) Once you have one of these other apps, you can experience everything that Ethereum and its networks offer. Even for people who cringe at cryptocurrency (and NFTs for that matter), I would recommend looking at some dapps (decentralized apps) like Yup (post to many social apps at once) and Mirror (blogging platform).

Can I learn more about some of this stuff?

There are websites to help you learn about the blockchain. It’s some interesting stuff, although I don’t know if it will help you stop cringing at crypto.

1. https://ethereum.org - a general website about the Ethereum chain (and everything that branches off of it)
2. https://learn.rainbow.me - this one is made by Rainbow, the people behind the wallet app I use
3. https://learn.opensea.io - this one is more NFT focused as OpenSea is a website about NFTs, you don’t have to go here.

Disclaimer.

I don’t want to be associated with the ”crypto bros” or “crypto degenerates” or whatever else you want to call them. There are some people who just boast about crypto, NFTs, or other related things. I am not them. I just happen to have come across some cool stuff. I am welcome to your opinions in my comments or DMs, I kinda want to hear them.