Jack Dorsey Steps Down from Bluesky’s Board

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has officially left the board of Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform he initiated and funded back in 2019 during his tenure as CEO of Twitter.

Bluesky confirmed Dorsey’s departure in a post on the platform on May 5, stating they were actively searching for a new board member and expressing gratitude to Dorsey for his role in launching and financing the project.

“With Jack’s departure, we are searching for a new board member for the Bluesky public benefit company who shares our commitment to building a social network that puts people in control of their experience,” said Bluesky.

Jack Dorsey Responds ‘No’

The announcement came hours after Jack Dorsey responded with a succinct “no” to a query on X about whether he was still on Bluesky’s board. Neither Bluesky nor Jack Dorsey provided a specific reason for his departure, and Bluesky did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While Dorsey’s exit remains unexplained, he has been active on X, promoting his grants for open interest protocols and referring to the now Elon Musk-owned social network as “freedom technology.”

Unfollowing 2000 Accounts

According to Big Tech Alert, an account tracking executive social activity, Jack Dorsey has unfollowed over 2000 accounts, leaving only three: Musk, Stella Assange (the wife of imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange), and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Dorsey’s decision to keep Musk on his follow-up list suggests a possible reconciliation between the two. This comes after Dorsey publicly criticized Musk’s management of X in April last year, expressing dissatisfaction with the board’s decision to sell the platform to him.

Bluesky and Jack Dorsey

Bluesky was initially announced by Dorsey in late 2019, with Twitter stating that it would fund a small team to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media.

However, despite the initial announcement, Bluesky did not launch in beta until March 2023 and was made available to the public on February 7, 2024. The platform has since amassed approximately 5.6 million users, according to its own statistics.

Solo Ventures

Dorsey’s departure from Bluesky’s board marks a significant development in the evolution of the decentralized social media project, leaving room for speculation about its future direction and leadership. 

On the other hand, Jack Dorsey recently secured a $2 million initial financing round, with leading participation from VC investor Stillmark and digital payments provider Block, Inc.