Quick Facts
- Jay Graber stepped down as Bluesky CEO on March 9, transitioning to Chief Innovation Officer
- Former Automattic CEO Toni Schneider named interim CEO while board searches for permanent replacement
- Bluesky has grown to 42 million users, up from 28 million in January 2025
Jay Graber announced her departure as CEO of Bluesky on March 9, 2026, transitioning to a newly created Chief Innovation Officer role as the decentralized social platform continues rapid growth.
Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic and partner at True Ventures, will serve as interim CEO while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement. Schneider led WordPress parent company Automattic from 2006 to 2014, scaling it to nearly 1 billion monthly visitors.
Graber founded Bluesky within Twitter in 2019 under Jack Dorsey’s direction, becoming CEO in 2021 when the company spun off independently. The platform has grown from 10 million users in September 2024 to 42 million as of February 2026.
“As Bluesky matures, the company needs a seasoned operator focused on scaling and execution, while I return to what I do best: building new things,” Graber wrote in her announcement. She will remain on the company’s board.
The leadership change comes as Bluesky faces scaling challenges despite its growth trajectory. The platform operates with 25 full-time employees and 100 content moderation contractors. It has raised $23 million across two funding rounds, including a $15 million Series A in October 2024.
Schneider brings experience scaling large platforms and has been an investor and advisor to Bluesky for two years. “Bluesky has cracked a case that stumped the industry for years: How to create a social network that has the best of both worlds,” he wrote.
The platform faces new compliance challenges with age-assurance laws, leading to complete blocks in Mississippi and verification requirements in other states. Growth has slowed from peak levels of 5 million new users monthly to approximately 1.4 million per month.
Bluesky’s 42 million users remain a fraction of competitors like Threads, which reports 400 million monthly active users. The company has fostered an ecosystem of over 500 apps built on its AT Protocol.
Read more: Bluesky CEO Jay Graber will step aside