“Bluesky An Open Social Web” seen in Bluesky website seen in an iPhone.

Bluesky seen in Bluesky website seen in an iPhone. Source: Koshiro - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

Jack Dorsey has stepped down from the board of Bluesky, the decentralized social network he initiated and supported during his tenure as Twitter’s CEO. His departure is significant as he was a foundational figure in the project.
Bluesky is actively seeking a new board member following Dorsey’s exit. The network, which launched its beta version in March 2023 and opened to all users by February 2024, currently boasts around 5.6 million users.
Dorsey remains engaged in the tech community, focusing on endorsing financial grants for open interest protocols and actively participating on the social network X, managed by Elon Musk.

After initiating and supporting the decentralized social network Bluesky during his tenure as Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey has now stepped down from its board.

This move marks a significant change for the social platform he helped to create.

Jack Dorsey says he’s no longer on the Bluesky board https://t.co/BwMZ8EcwRy
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 5, 2024

Bluesky, which was envisioned and financed by Dorsey back in 2019, confirmed his departure in a recent post, stating the organization is on the lookout for a new board member.

The announcement also expressed gratitude towards Dorsey for his foundational role in the project.

The revelation of Dorsey’s departure was preceded by a terse exchange on the social network X, where he simply replied “no” to a query about his ongoing involvement with Bluesky’s board.

no
— jack (@jack) May 4, 2024

The reasons behind his decision to step down have not been disclosed by either party.

In related developments, Dorsey has been active on X, endorsing his financial grants aimed at open interest protocols and lauding the platform as a beacon of “freedom technology.”

This platform is currently managed by Elon Musk, who also appears to remain in Dorsey’s select group of follows, alongside Stella Assange and Edward Snowden.

This connection is noteworthy, especially considering a previous spat reported in April 2023, where Dorsey criticized Musk’s management of X on Bluesky itself.

His criticism included comments on how the board’s decision to force the sale to Musk was misguided.

Bluesky itself has seen a staggered start, launching its beta version only in March 2023 and opening access to all users by February 7, 2024.

Jack Dorsey leaves BlueSky board and calls X ‘freedom technology’ https://t.co/7stpjXxI9G
— TIME (@TIME) May 6, 2024

Despite these challenges, it has managed to attract approximately 5.6 million users, as per the latest figures released by the network.

Jack Dorsey, known for his visionary approach in the tech industry, initially announced Bluesky with the intention of fostering an open and decentralized standard for social media.

Jack Dorsey has left the board of social networking service Bluesky, which he helped fund and popularize a year ago in the wake of regret over the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk https://t.co/dF3uuGmyB5
— Bloomberg Crypto (@crypto) May 6, 2024

His departure comes at a time when decentralized networks are grappling with user retention issues, highlighting the ongoing challenges within the sector.