BlueSky starts offering custom domains to stay ad-free

Jack Dorsey-backed decentralized social network BlueSky has launched a paid domain service in partnership with Namecheap as a way for users to verify their identities. In a post discussing their plans to make BlueSky sustainable, the team said that “users become the product” when a company relies on advertisements. Since BlueSky plans to “build a protocol where users can own their data”, it instead opted to explore “other avenues of monetization”. It is worth noting that the social app started off as a project funded by Twitter, but has lost its connection with the website after Elon Musk took over.

Since earning from ads is not an option, the team thought of offering paid services, starting with domain names. Users can already set up custom domain names to use with BlueSky, but they must first go through a separate process with a domain registrar. Supposedly, this integration will allow them to do so in a matter of minutes. They can simply log into their account, search for a domain name to use as a handle, and then pay for it within BlueSky’s interface. For a Twitter competitor that doesn’t have a centralized verification system, using a domain name is the best way to verify a user is who they say they are. For example, US senators are apparently using the senate.gov domain to verify their identity.

Users who use the integrated service will be able to manage their domain settings and configuration within BlueSky, and they can forward email sent on their domains to addresses of their choice. They can also choose to redirect their domain to their BlueSky profile or any URL they want. And they can transfer their domain if they decide to leave the platform or use another registrar.

Based on BlueSky’s announcement, the domain integration is the first of many payment services available on the platform. It added that it is exploring other services that it can “bundle to provide a more seamless experience to users.” That said, BlueSky is still in private beta, and those interested will have to join a waiting list before they can get in.