Amazon and a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely have entered the race to acquire TikTok’s US operations, joining a growing list of bidders ahead of the April 5 divestment deadline set by US lawmakers.

Stokely’s startup Zoop, backed by a cryptocurrency foundation, has submitted a late-stage plan to bid for the short-form video platform, according to Reuters. Separately, a US official confirmed that Amazon sent a letter expressing its interest to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Amazon declined to comment, while shares in the company rose about 2% following the news.

Their entry adds new momentum to an already competitive process involving several major private equity and venture capital firms. Blackstone is in discussions to join ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese investors, including Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, to help fund a potential bid. Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz is in talks to provide external funding for a rival offer led by Oracle and a consortium of American investors, aiming to buy out TikTok’s Chinese stakeholders.

The US government is facilitating efforts to spin off a separate US TikTok entity, reducing Chinese ownership to below the 20% threshold mandated by recently enacted legislation. The White House is actively reviewing bid options as the deadline looms.