Jack Dorsey bets on Nostr: leaving BlueSky as a signal of a new strategy

Revolutionary figure in decentralized social networks, Jack Dorsey, made an unexpected move — he stepped down from the board of BlueSky, the platform he helped launch in 2019. But this is not a retreat from the idea of an open internet, rather a shift towards new tools and technologies that, in the founder of Twitter’s opinion, better embody the concept of free communication.

From BlueSky to Nostr: a transformation of vision

In December 2019, when Jack Dorsey was still leading Twitter, he announced funding for an initiative to create an open standard for social networks, which later was named BlueSky. The idea was revolutionary: to create a constantly evolving platform based on a decentralized protocol, freeing social networks from the dominance of large corporations.

However, over the past few years, a serious competitor has emerged — the Nostr protocol. This open and censorship-resistant protocol offers an even more radical approach to building a social network without central management. And it is on Nostr that Jack Dorsey has redirected his energy and resources.

Investing in the future: supporting open projects

Jack Dorsey’s personal commitment to freedom technologies is expressed not only in rhetoric. In 2022, he donated 14 bitcoins to the creator of Nostr — at that time, approximately $245,000. Subsequently, in 2023, Dorsey announced the transfer of $10 million to the non-profit organization OpenSats, which funds free and open projects within the Bitcoin ecosystem, including the development of Nostr itself.

These decisions demonstrate a conscious choice: Jack Dorsey sees the future of decentralized social networks not in managed startups, even the most liberal ones, but in fully open protocols that have no central governing body.

The X platform and the mission of freedom

Additionally, the Twitter founder continues to promote the X platform — a transformed version of the social network he helped create. In recent months, Dorsey has been actively involved in developing projects aimed at what he calls “freedom technologies” — tools that enable people to interact without intermediaries of corporate platforms.

When asked about his alleged departure from the BlueSky board, Jack Dorsey confirmed that he is indeed no longer a member of the platform’s board of directors. BlueSky, in turn, expressed appreciation to Dorsey for his help in funding and launching the project, and has begun searching for a new board member.

Ideology versus structure

Dorsey’s withdrawal from participation in BlueSky’s management reflects a deeper philosophical stance: in his view, true decentralization requires the absence of any centralized authority, including the management of the company. “There is no Nostr board,” — Jack Dorsey himself stated, emphasizing the radical difference of this approach.

This decision symbolizes a shift in understanding what true freedom in the digital age means. Not a startup, even one funded by progressive investors, but a fully open and self-governing protocol — this is the direction in which Jack Dorsey sees the future.