Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, has found an unexpected revenue stream through merchandise sales. The company recently launched t-shirts featuring a Latin phrase that indirectly targets Meta (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the product sold out within minutes. This move aligns with Bluesky’s broader goal of positioning itself as an alternative to platforms controlled by billionaires. The popularity of these shirts highlights the ongoing tension between decentralized networks and traditional social media giants.
Bluesky’s latest merchandise mirrors a shirt worn by CEO Jay Graber at SXSW, which carried the phrase “mundus sine Caesaribus,” translating to “a world without Caesars.” This design closely resembles a t-shirt Zuckerberg wore at Meta Connect in 2023, which read “aut Zuck aut nihil,” meaning “either Zuck or nothing.” Zuckerberg’s known interest in Roman history, including naming his daughters after Latin figures, adds another layer of context to the implicit criticism in Bluesky’s design.
Why are these t-shirts significant?
The t-shirts have resonated with Bluesky users, who quickly bought out the initial batch when sales began on March 13. The company decided to restock them for a limited period, offering sizes from S to XXL. Priced at $40, the shirts serve a dual purpose—raising funds for Bluesky’s open network while reinforcing its stance against billionaire-controlled social media platforms. Similar versions of the t-shirt have also appeared on third-party sites like Etsy, Walmart, and eBay.
How does merchandise impact Bluesky’s revenue?
Bluesky COO Rose Wang noted that revenue from the t-shirt sales on March 18 exceeded the company’s earnings from custom domain sales in the past two years.
“That’s it. Pivoting to a T-shirt company,”
Wang joked in a social media post. Bluesky has primarily relied on custom domain services and is considering a subscription model as an additional source of income. The platform, initially incubated by Twitter in 2019 before becoming independent, has aimed to build an ad-free ecosystem.
The rapid rise of Bluesky, which now boasts over 32 million users, has been partly fueled by dissatisfaction with established platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, following Elon Musk’s acquisition. Bluesky presents itself as resistant to centralized control, asserting that its open-source structure allows users to retain data and even migrate to new networks if they disagree with company decisions. Graber emphasized this at SXSW, stating,
“If a billionaire came in and bought Bluesky and took it over, or I decided tomorrow to change things in a way that people really didn’t like, then they could fork off and go on to other applications.”
Bluesky’s monetization strategy has evolved over time. Initially focused on providing decentralized social media services, it experimented with custom domains, a feature that allows users to personalize their profile addresses. Unlike other platforms that depend on advertising, Bluesky has avoided this revenue stream, opting instead for user-driven monetization methods. The unexpected success of the t-shirt sales suggests that branding and community engagement could play a larger role in the platform’s financial sustainability.
Bluesky’s strategy of funding its operations through merchandise sales shows how alternative social media platforms can generate revenue without relying on ads or venture capital. The strong demand for its t-shirts underlines the existing market for platforms that challenge centralized social media control. If Bluesky continues to expand its monetization approach, it may serve as a model for other decentralized networks looking to sustain themselves independently. However, whether this method can provide long-term financial stability remains uncertain, and Bluesky may still need to develop additional revenue streams.
