The key facts
- Bluesky plans to introduce payments in the coming months — the first step of monetization without relying on advertising.
- CEO Tony Schneider took over the company in March after Jay Graber's departure and noted that users may leave if they dislike the changes.
- COO Rose Wang emphasized the Public Benefit Corporation status and the impossibility of 'locking in' users due to the decentralized infrastructure.
Payments as the first step
Bluesky intends to introduce payments in the coming months — the first step of a strategy to earn money without relying on advertising. CEO Tony Schneider and COO Rose Wang announced the plans at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference on Thursday. According to them, active commerce, successful fundraising, and mutual user support are already happening in the decentralized network, and the company wants to simplify these processes. Schneider noted that if a user likes something on the network, they will be able to support it financially, and the solution should work not only for Bluesky but also for other apps across the whole network.
Leadership change and accountability to users
Schneider, who previously led Automattic, became CEO of Bluesky in March after the departure of longtime leader Jay Graber. He admitted he was surprised by the reaction to his appointment: some users jokingly said it was the 'beginning of the end' of the platform, reflecting fears that a change in leadership would bring unwanted changes. Schneider emphasized that he understands users may move to another platform if they do not accept the innovations, and this reality keeps the team accountable on the path to monetization.
An alternative to the advertising model
The executives argue that advertising is not the only viable business model for a social network. Wang said there is a perception that advertising is inevitable and will 'destroy the network,' but Schneider's arrival — having built a $10 billion business at WordPress, of which a billion went back to the parent company and the rest went to the ecosystem — seemed promising to her. She also pointed to Bluesky's status as a Public Benefit Corporation, which puts the mission at the center of the business strategy: 'Yes, we need to make money, but because of our infrastructure we can't lock people in,' she noted, comparing the current social media model to a 'feudal society' where users work for 'a few landlords' and pay them 'tolls'.
Goal: an open internet
Bluesky aims to give users ownership of their digital identities and control over their networks, creating a more open internet where value and revenue go directly to those who create them. According to Wang, the company is starting with payments, but its goal is broader — to 'disrupt the infrastructure layer itself,' not just build another app.
