Bluesky Plans Payments for Sales and Fundraising Without Ads
Bluesky plans payments within months, enabling sales, fundraising and support across its open network as it seeks revenue without relying on advertising.
Summary
On October 15, 2026, Bluesky said it plans to introduce payments in the coming months, its first move toward monetization without relying on advertising. CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang said users already sell products, raise funds and support others on the decentralized social network. Bluesky intends payments to work across its service and other apps on the network, directing revenue toward people who create value, although fees, partners and an exact launch date remain unspecified.
Schneider, Automattic’s former CEO, took charge in March after longtime CEO Jay Graber stepped down. Some users joked his appointment marked Bluesky’s beginning of the end, but Schneider said the ability to move elsewhere if changes are unwelcome keeps management accountable. Wang said Bluesky’s Public Benefit Corporation status centers its mission and its infrastructure prevents user lock-in. She cited Automattic’s $10 billion business, where $1 billion goes to the parent company and the remainder to its ecosystem, as an alternative model. Payments are the first step toward user-owned digital identities, controlled networks and infrastructure that routes value directly to creators.
Positives
- Payments are planned within months to support existing sales, fundraising and direct financial support on Bluesky.
- The system is intended to work across Bluesky and other apps on its decentralized network.
- Bluesky is pursuing monetization without treating advertising as the inevitable business model.
- Public Benefit Corporation status places Bluesky’s stated mission at the center of its business strategy.
- Open infrastructure aims to give users ownership of digital identities and control over their networks.
Risks & concerns
- Bluesky has not disclosed an exact launch date, transaction fees or payment partners.
- Some users joked Toni Schneider’s March appointment marked the platform’s beginning of the end.
- Schneider acknowledged that users can leave for another platform if Bluesky introduces changes they dislike.
- Payments are only the first monetization step, leaving the broader business model and implementation details limited.