Bluesky, the social media platform known for its decentralized approach, has secured $15 million in Series A funding led by Blockchain Capital. Alumni Ventures, True Ventures, SevenX, and notable tech figures, including Kubernetes co-creator Joe Beda, participated.

The platform reports growth from 1 million to more than 13 million users since its last funding round, expanding its reach across the United States, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany. 

Bluesky’s AT Protocol, which powers its decentralized infrastructure, now supports over 1,000 personal data servers outside the company’s main network.

Kinjal Shah from Blockchain Capital joins Bluesky’s board as part of the investment. The company points out that despite the blockchain-focused investor’s involvement, the platform will not integrate cryptocurrencies, tokens, or NFTs into its service.

The funding will support three primary initiatives: community growth, Trust and Safety investments, and developer ecosystem expansion. 

Bluesky has announced plans to introduce a subscription model for premium features, including higher-quality video uploads and profile customizations such as colors and avatar frames. The company states that subscribed accounts will not receive preferential treatment in content ranking.

For creators, Bluesky plans to implement payment services enabling direct user support. The platform hosts content from artists, writers, and developers, though specific monetization details remain under development.

The AT Protocol ecosystem has already spawned several specialized applications, including Smoke Signal for events, Frontpage for web forums, and Bluecast for audio content. Bluesky suggests that revenue streams like subscriptions, domain-name registrations, and creator payments could support these independent applications.

“With every month that passes, the need for an open social network becomes clearer,” Bluesky wrote in a blog post. “We’re building not just another social app but an entire network that gives users freedom and choice.”

Recent platform developments include the launch of custom feeds, with users creating over 50,000 algorithmic content streams. The company has also released direct messaging, GIF support, and video capabilities while developing anti-harassment tools and moderation systems. 

Bluesky has open-sourced its moderation tool, Ozone, and established partnerships with Buffer for platform integration and Namecheap for domain sales.

The company has allocated $20,000 for developer grants and continues to expand its documentation and partnerships within its developer ecosystem, which it calls the “ATmosphere.”

“Bluesky is powered by a 20-person core team, moderators, and support agents,” wrote Bluesky COO Rose Wang. “Our biggest costs are team and infrastructure. Subscription revenue helps us improve the app, grow the developer ecosystem, and gives us time to explore business models beyond traditional ads.”

Reactions to the news about creator payments on Bluesky were mixed. Some have expressed concerns about it.

“If anything ruins Bluesky, it’s gonna be the need to make money,” wrote Kyle Orland, Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica.