Bluesky CEO: Platform is ‘Billionaire Proof’ as User Base Surges

Key Points:

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber highlighted the platform’s open design, allowing users to leave with their followers, making it resistant to acquisitions.

Graber emphasized the platform’s open-source nature, ensuring users maintain control regardless of ownership changes.

Bluesky has gained over 7 million users since the U.S. presidential election, bringing its total to 21 million.

CEO Jay Graber described Bluesky as “billionaire proof,” citing its decentralized design. “If someone bought Bluesky or if the company went down, everything is open source,” Graber explained in an interview with CNBC. This ensures users can transition seamlessly without losing their followers—unlike the mass exodus from X (formerly Twitter) after Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition.

Bluesky now has over 21 million users, though it remains smaller than Threads and X. Meta’s Threads boasts approximately 275 million monthly users, while X has around 318 million, according to Sensor Tower.

Originally launched in 2019 as a Twitter initiative during Jack Dorsey’s tenure, Bluesky became an independent public benefit corporation in 2022. Graber credited Dorsey for his vision of creating a transparent, user-controlled social media platform.

To sustain growth, Bluesky plans to offer subscription features and expand services for developers. However, Graber ruled out adopting algorithm-driven ads. “We’re not going to build an algorithm that shoves ads at users,” she stated.

The platform’s momentum has been bolstered by funding rounds, including $15 million raised in October led by Blockchain Capital, bringing its total funding to $36 million. Its decentralized and open-source approach positions Bluesky as a unique competitor in the evolving social media landscape.