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Bluesky has officially surpassed 13 million users, with the AT Protocol developer ecosystem continuing to expand. We’ve also introduced several highly anticipated features, such as direct messaging and video support. Today, we’re thrilled to announce a $15 million Series A funding round, led by Blockchain Capital, with contributions from Alumni Ventures, True Ventures, SevenX, Amir Shevat (Darkmode), Kubernetes co-creator Joe Beda, and more.
Our lead investor, Blockchain Capital, aligns with our core belief that technology should serve people—not the other way around. They bring deep expertise in decentralized systems and a proven track record of building developer communities, making them an ideal partner as we strengthen the ATmosphere (the AT Protocol’s developer ecosystem). It’s important to note that Bluesky and the AT Protocol remain blockchain- and cryptocurrency-free, with no plans to incorporate token systems, crypto trading, or NFTs. We are committed to building a social experience that focuses on users, not financialization. As part of this collaboration, Kinjal Shah from Blockchain Capital will join our board, further supporting our mission to create a user-empowered social media ecosystem.
This new funding will allow us to continue growing Bluesky’s community, enhance Trust and Safety measures, and provide more support for developers in the ATmosphere ecosystem. We’ll also introduce optional subscriptions for premium features like high-quality video uploads and profile customization (e.g., avatar frames or color themes). However, Bluesky will remain free to use, as we believe open access to information and conversation should be a right, not a privilege. Paid tiers won’t affect algorithmic ranking or visibility—users will not gain artificial influence just because they subscribe.
We are also committed to empowering creators across our platform. From artists to developers, we want to create voluntary monetization opportunities. This will include building payment systems to help users support their favorite creators and projects, with more details to come soon.
The AT Protocol opens the door for a thriving ecosystem of independent applications. Developers have already started building unique apps beyond Bluesky. Some examples include Smoke Signal (an event-planning app), Frontpage (a web forum), and Bluecast (an audio app with licensed karaoke!). We believe that monetization models like subscriptions, domain registrations, and creator payments will further fuel the growth of these diverse platforms.
With each passing month, the need for an open, user-first social network becomes more apparent. We’re not just building another social app—we’re building an entire network that prioritizes freedom and choice. Thank you for being part of this journey.
What We’ve Achieved Since Our Last Fundraise
Since our seed round last year, we’ve made significant strides:
• User Growth: Expanded from an invite-only platform to an open network serving over 13 million users worldwide, including from the U.S., Brazil, Japan, the U.K., and Germany.
• Federation Launch: Enabled federation for self-hosters and developers, with over 1,000 personal data servers (PDS) now active beyond Bluesky.
• Custom Feeds: Rolled out custom feeds, giving users the power to choose their algorithms—now with over 50,000 feeds available.
• Trust and Safety: Invested heavily in anti-harassment tools, labeling services, and open-sourced Ozone, our moderation tool.
• New Features: Delivered community-requested features like direct messaging, video uploads, GIFs, and innovative starter packs to help communities connect privately.
• Strategic Partnerships: Partnered with organizations like Buffer to integrate Bluesky and with Namecheap to offer domain sales.
• Developer Support: Launched $20k in developer grants and expanded developer resources with new documentation, talks, and partnerships.
• New Additions: Introduced a new logo, a public web interface, and more!
A New Era of Social Media
Traditional social platforms have closed off the digital commons, locked down APIs, and implemented secretive algorithms that leave users in the dark. Bluesky is leading the way into a new era—one where power and choice are returned to users.
The future of social media is open, decentralized, and built for the people who use it. We’re excited to continue this journey with you.
Source; https://bsky.social/about/blog/10-24-2024-series-a
Our lead investor, Blockchain Capital, aligns with our core belief that technology should serve people—not the other way around. They bring deep expertise in decentralized systems and a proven track record of building developer communities, making them an ideal partner as we strengthen the ATmosphere (the AT Protocol’s developer ecosystem). It’s important to note that Bluesky and the AT Protocol remain blockchain- and cryptocurrency-free, with no plans to incorporate token systems, crypto trading, or NFTs. We are committed to building a social experience that focuses on users, not financialization. As part of this collaboration, Kinjal Shah from Blockchain Capital will join our board, further supporting our mission to create a user-empowered social media ecosystem.
This new funding will allow us to continue growing Bluesky’s community, enhance Trust and Safety measures, and provide more support for developers in the ATmosphere ecosystem. We’ll also introduce optional subscriptions for premium features like high-quality video uploads and profile customization (e.g., avatar frames or color themes). However, Bluesky will remain free to use, as we believe open access to information and conversation should be a right, not a privilege. Paid tiers won’t affect algorithmic ranking or visibility—users will not gain artificial influence just because they subscribe.
We are also committed to empowering creators across our platform. From artists to developers, we want to create voluntary monetization opportunities. This will include building payment systems to help users support their favorite creators and projects, with more details to come soon.
The AT Protocol opens the door for a thriving ecosystem of independent applications. Developers have already started building unique apps beyond Bluesky. Some examples include Smoke Signal (an event-planning app), Frontpage (a web forum), and Bluecast (an audio app with licensed karaoke!). We believe that monetization models like subscriptions, domain registrations, and creator payments will further fuel the growth of these diverse platforms.
With each passing month, the need for an open, user-first social network becomes more apparent. We’re not just building another social app—we’re building an entire network that prioritizes freedom and choice. Thank you for being part of this journey.
What We’ve Achieved Since Our Last Fundraise
Since our seed round last year, we’ve made significant strides:
• User Growth: Expanded from an invite-only platform to an open network serving over 13 million users worldwide, including from the U.S., Brazil, Japan, the U.K., and Germany.
• Federation Launch: Enabled federation for self-hosters and developers, with over 1,000 personal data servers (PDS) now active beyond Bluesky.
• Custom Feeds: Rolled out custom feeds, giving users the power to choose their algorithms—now with over 50,000 feeds available.
• Trust and Safety: Invested heavily in anti-harassment tools, labeling services, and open-sourced Ozone, our moderation tool.
• New Features: Delivered community-requested features like direct messaging, video uploads, GIFs, and innovative starter packs to help communities connect privately.
• Strategic Partnerships: Partnered with organizations like Buffer to integrate Bluesky and with Namecheap to offer domain sales.
• Developer Support: Launched $20k in developer grants and expanded developer resources with new documentation, talks, and partnerships.
• New Additions: Introduced a new logo, a public web interface, and more!
A New Era of Social Media
Traditional social platforms have closed off the digital commons, locked down APIs, and implemented secretive algorithms that leave users in the dark. Bluesky is leading the way into a new era—one where power and choice are returned to users.
The future of social media is open, decentralized, and built for the people who use it. We’re excited to continue this journey with you.
Source; https://bsky.social/about/blog/10-24-2024-series-a
