Bluesky wants to generate revenue without making advertising its default business model.
Its answer is to introduce payments, while expanding AI-powered Attie from a custom-feed tool into a way to build websites, games, and other interactive experiences.
Both announcements came at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 15, 2026.
TL;DR
- Bluesky plans to introduce payments in the coming months for users selling products, fundraising, and supporting others.
- Attie is gaining AI tools to create websites, games, quizzes, polls, and community experiences without traditional software development.
- Private data support for the underlying AT Protocol is in alpha testing, with wider availability targeted for the end of 2026.
Bluesky Attie Expands AI Creation To Websites, Games And Polls
Attie originally helped people generate custom social feeds. Now, Bluesky wants users to create interactive projects that others can visit, play, and share, even without conventional coding skills.
CEO Toni Schneider called the concept "social vibe coding or vibe coding for your community," emphasizing group participation rather than the typically solitary process of creating AI-generated software.
Projects created with Attie connect to a user's AT Protocol identity, while the platform can recommend ideas using their public Bluesky profile. Creators can bring their own AI model or use open-weight options.
COO Rose Wang highlighted the difficulty of finding an audience for newly built apps. Attie addresses that challenge by connecting those creations with Bluesky's existing social network, rather than leaving them to find users independently.
That potential reach matters. Bluesky reportedly has 47 million registered users, but has also experienced declining engagement as some people returned to X.
Bluesky also launched a new game called Flappy Butterfly, which allows players to post their progress and high scores on the platform. This also came with an Ask rhe Attie Team AMA site where anyone can ask anyone a question about anything and easily post the answers back to Bluesky!
Bluesky Plans Social Payments For Sellers And Fundraisers Without An Ad-First Model
The second announcement focuses on revenue. Schneider and Wang said users already sell things, organize fundraising campaigns, and financially support others on Bluesky, but those activities could become easier.
The company plans to introduce payments in the coming months, intending the capability to work beyond its own app and across the wider decentralized network.
The executives did not provide an exact rollout date, payment fees, or a list of supported countries.
Wang linked the approach to Bluesky's status as a public benefit corporation, arguing that more revenue should flow to people who create value on the network. Its infrastructure also means users should not be locked into a single company's app.
Rather than making advertising the assumed answer to monetization, Bluesky is betting on transactions between the people who make its network useful.
Topics For More Insights
Bluesky's AT Protocol And Private Data Plans Link The Two Announcements
Attie and payments share a technological foundation: the AT Protocol, which supports Bluesky and other connected decentralized apps in the ecosystem known as the Atmosphere.
The technology is designed to give users more control over their digital identities and social connections.
Schneider also said support for private data, a frequent developer request, is in alpha testing and is planned for release by the end of 2026. That would give developers more options for building experiences beyond public social feeds.
The developments follow Schneider's appointment as CEO in March, when Jay Graber stepped down to become chief innovation officer.
Bluesky has yet to demonstrate whether payments will produce meaningful revenue or Attie will sustain engagement. However, its priorities are becoming clearer: help communities create useful experiences, find audiences, and support one another financially.
