Bluesky Surpasses 13 Million Users, Secures $15M in Funding

Bluesky has reached 13 million total users, marking a significant milestone as it positions itself as a potential X alternative. The platform’s user growth surged by 2 million in the last week, likely in response to recent changes on Elon Musk’s platform X, which have prompted some users to seek alternatives. In addition to this user growth, Bluesky has raised $15 million in Series A funding, led by Blockchain Capital, which it plans to use for continued development.

This funding is crucial as Bluesky works to establish a sustainable model independent of X. This latest round follows an $8 million funding boost last July, adding to Dorsey’s initial $13 million investment from Twitter in 2022 – meaning that the platform has had well over $30m in funding so far.

Bluesky is also exploring monetization strategies to enhance its financial viability. Planned subscription options may offer users premium features, such as higher-quality video uploads and profile customization options. The platform is further considering creator-focused revenue pathways to build a more robust ecosystem for content creators.

Although Bluesky’s current user base is well below Meta’s Threads’ 200 million and X’s estimated 586 million, Bluesky has been growing fast compared to other competitors of either platform. However, Bluesky faces challenges in simplifying the user experience, particularly for those unfamiliar with decentralized platforms – and, so far, has few exclusive creators or features that could draw attention to the platform without being easily available on other social sites.