Bluesky to Introduce Payments, Support Commerce on its Network

Social platform Bluesky is preparing to launch payment functionalities in the coming months, marking a first step in its strategy to generate revenue without relying on advertising. CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang outlined the plans on Thursday at the TechCrunch Disrupt event.

Schneider highlighted that significant commerce and fundraising activities are already occurring on the platform. The company's goal is to make these actions easier for users. "People are actually selling things, fundraising very successfully, supporting each other on the network," Schneider stated. "We want to make that easier, and the way we're going to do this is if you see something on the network that you like and support, you can support that monetarily."

The new payment features are intended to allow users to directly support creators or purchase goods and services within the network. Bluesky aims to ensure these functionalities are compatible across all applications on the platform, providing a unified experience throughout the network.

The company has previously indicated it is exploring various monetization models beyond advertising, with Wang suggesting that advertising is not the sole path to revenue and that alternative, feasible models exist. The introduction of payment features represents a significant move by Bluesky to build an independent and multifaceted ecosystem.