The decentralized social media platform Bluesky finally has a stable leader. Toni Schneider, who took over as interim CEO in April after the resignation of co-founder Jay Graber, has now announced he has dropped the 'interim' tag. Schneider is officially taking the reins permanently, confirming his long-term commitment at a crucial time for the platform's growth.
Schneider comes from Automattic and True Ventures and aims for more private communities
Schneider wrote on his personal blog that he is 'all in' on Bluesky's mission. Among his first priorities, he mentioned creating smaller spaces and more private communities, a strategy he believes can 'unlock the next wave of growth and innovation.' His appointment marks a turning point for Bluesky, which has recently seen a slowdown in new user acquisition.
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Bluesky grew to 43 million users under Graber but now seeks fresh momentum
Under Graber's leadership, Bluesky evolved from a Twitter internal project into an independent platform with over 43 million subscribers. Its AT Protocol enabled interoperability between different applications. However, after the peak following Donald Trump's re-election in 2024—when Elon Musk became more politically active—the platform struggled to maintain growth. Some observers even speculated a decline, with signs of decreasing engagement and user base.
The new CEO must reverse the trend and revive growth
Schneider acknowledged the challenges. 'We are at the very beginning of this story,' he wrote, showing optimism. His experience as founder and CEO of Automattic (the company behind WordPress and Tumblr) and his role as a partner at True Ventures—both investors in Bluesky—give him a unique perspective to lead the transition. For more on the latest tech developments, check out the article on Anthropic and OpenAI. According to Schneider, Bluesky's future lies in creating smaller, more private communities, a counter-trend to traditional social networks. The platform will continue to rely on the AT Protocol, as explained on Wikipedia.
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Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/10/blueskys-interim-ceo-toni-schneider-drops-the-interim
