Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Steps Down, Platform Plans Growth Phase
Bluesky announced a major leadership shift with CEO Jay Graber stepping down from her role to become the company’s Chief Innovation Officer. Graber, who has led Bluesky since August 2021, explained the move as aligning with the platform’s maturation: the company needs a leader focused on scaling and execution, while she returns to her strengths in building innovative features and advancing decentralized social tech.
In her announcement on the Bluesky blog, Graber highlighted the transition’s timing as Bluesky reaches a pivotal stage. Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic (parent company of WordPress) and a partner at True Ventures, steps in as interim CEO. Schneider, who has advised Bluesky for over a year, will guide operations while the board searches for a permanent chief executive. Graber praised Schneider’s belief in the mission of an open, user-controlled social web.
Graber joined Bluesky when it was a Twitter-initiated project under Jack Dorsey, aimed at creating a decentralized alternative via the AT Protocol. Under her leadership, the platform exploded from a small invite-only service to over 43 million registered users by early 2026, per independent trackers like Jaz’s Bluesky stats. Growth surged post-2024 U.S. election amid backlash to X owner Elon Musk’s political involvement, adding millions in late 2024 and pushing past 40 million in late 2025.However, momentum has slowed significantly since the initial influx. After rapid gains – 15 million users between September and November 2024, then another 10 million to 30 million by March 2025 – additions tapered, with post volume and activity declining steadily in recent months.
The leadership change appears geared toward reigniting growth and boosting relevance. Graber’s shift to innovation allows exploration of new decentralized frontiers, while Schneider’s scaling expertise from Automattic could help refine user acquisition, retention, and monetization strategies.
