Bluesky has emerged as the stylish social network of the moment. In recent weeks, this young platform—born in 2019 as an internal Twitter project—has doubled its global user base and now exceeds 23 million users. The political shifts in the United States and the proximity to tech magnate Elon Musk, owner of X, have sparked a digital exodus that has benefited the blue-butterfly company.
Rose Wang, 33, serves as Bluesky’s chief operating officer. A Harvard psychology graduate, she previously worked at several digital startups before joining the project under CEO Jay Graber, who is also the same age. Bluesky’s rise has been so swift that its 20 employees still lack a formal office and work remotely. Wang speaks about Bluesky in a video call from her home in San Francisco.
Why is Bluesky growing so quickly? Bluesky launched in February and in the first week drew one million users from Japan. Others joined after Brazil briefly blocked X, and Lula’s administration drew attention to the platform. There is growing interest in the United States and Canada, attracting coverage from major media. There is a real appetite for a product that places user choice at the forefront.
What does Bluesky offer that X or Threads does not? There is no longer a space for breaking news on many platforms. Twitter, now known as X, has become a partisan space that only highlights certain profiles, and Facebook no longer promotes news. Bluesky’s appeal lies in a combination of information and richer interaction, where people actually enjoy themselves and can connect without harassment.
There is no longer a space for breaking news. Twitter, sorry, X, has become a partisan space and Facebook no longer promotes information.
Bluesky is built on an open protocol. What benefits does that structure bring? The data is open so any user can design their own feed or a moderation service. Social networks have become guarded gardens, and Bluesky aims for an open web like email, where messages flow freely between providers. The open protocol lets people build their own platform and invite friends to talk and form a community. People had grown used to consuming what the algorithm recommended and had forgotten what sharing really means.
Can this philosophy withstand new investors? External funding does not grant control. The company is led by Jay Graber and the team, with governance and direction firmly in their hands.
There are questions about crypto funding. Will Bluesky allow cryptocurrency investments? Blockchain Capital has invested, supporting the decentralization Bluesky embodies, but the plan is not to integrate cryptocurrencies into social experiences. Bluesky intends to stay independent and autonomous and plans to launch a subscription model at the end of the year that will not boost the visibility of posts the way X does.
People had become used to consuming what the algorithm suggested and had forgotten what it meant to share.
You might wonder how a team of about 20 people moderates content for 23 million users. The answer lies in rapid scaling. Bluesky is quadrupling its moderation staff from 25 to 100 and relies on automated systems to flag content while empowering users to report potential violations. Governance remains a central pillar of moderation and community health.
The European Commission has noted that Bluesky may run afoul of rules by not clearly stating how many users are in the EU or where the company is legally based. How will Bluesky respond? The team has stated a commitment to compliance and, given the company’s remote setup, has no current plans to open a dedicated EU office. The priority is to keep the application online and accessible.
Bluesky has promised not to use user content to train AI. Yet third parties could access such data. Bluesky emphasizes data openness to avoid returning to a closed advertising model. The company is exploring ways to let users indicate consent for their data to be used in AI development, though whether such consent will be enforceable depends on developers and platforms outside Bluesky itself.