Tim Bray1d ago

Super disappointed that this was left undisclosed: https://bsky.social/about/blog/03-19-2026-series-b

I don’t see how you can build a VC-supported free product without slipping into the Torment Nexus which is to say AdTech.

I do believe the Bluesky people really do want to try to do this. But I still don’t see how.

Bluesky's 2025 $100M Series B Lays Foundation for Open Social Web - Bluesky

In April 2025, Bluesky raised $100 million in Series B funding led by Bain Capital Crypto. Since our Series A, we've grown from 13 million to over 43 million global users.

Bluesky
Show threadjwz1d ago

@timbray I am shocked, shocked to learn that the not-actually-federated, locked-in social network started by a bunch of cryptocurrency people is all in on cryptocurrency, VC and ads.

I cannot comprehend why you keep giving them the benefit of the doubt. They have told you who they are, repeatedly.

Show threadFlorent Viel 🦫1d ago
@jwz @timbray not so closed as you would say https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-newbold-at-architecture-00.html there's an ongoing draft at the IETF to standardized the protocol. Also the crypto bro who started it is not at the board anymore.
Authenticated Transfer: Architecture Overview

Authenticated Transfer (AT) is a collection of protocol components that together provide a generic framework for interoperable social web applications, using global aggregations of interlinked, self-certifying data records. This informational document provides an overview of the entire system, as implemented in late 2025. Some of those components may be in scope as work for the IETF, while other components may not. Many components are general-purpose and may find use outside of the context of AT. The intent of this document is to provide context for how all the components can fit together for certain use cases.

Show threadjwz1d ago

@luxifer @timbray The purpose of a thing is what it does. It is not open, and they've been leading you along with "maybe someday real soon now" for years. It will never be open.

The crypto bro in question is Jack Dorsey, Blockchain Rasputin, the OG Twitter Nazi, and he may not be on the board any more but he still owns $13M of the company.

His involvement at any stage of any project, past or present, is immediately disqualifying.

https://jwz.org/b/ykQM

Blockchain Rasputin over here is mad that moderation exists

It has been obvious to anyone paying attention that the reason Dorsey founded and funded Bluesky was with the end goal of enabling Twitter to go [Spider-Man Pointing dot GIF] any time an actual Nazi showed up, because moderation was not their problem, they just outsourced it to a series of nested shell companies (that they fund) who act as reputation laundries and liability crumple zones. Now

Show threadTim Bray
@jwz @luxifer Not a Dorsey fan but I believe that initial $13M was a grant from Twitter Inc and involved no equity. Dorsey is a nostr bro these days.
Mar 19 at 10:16pmWeb