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Bridgy Fed Goes Nonprofit to Connect the Open Social Web

Bridgy Fed Goes Nonprofit to Connect the Open Social Web
Credit: Bridgy Fed

The open social web, a decentralized vision for digital connection, is getting a major boost with Bridgy Fed becoming the first project incubated under a new nonprofit called A New Social. This initiative, led by CTO and Bridgy Fed creator Ryan Barrett and engineering leader turned CEO Anuj Ahooja, aims to unify fragmented networks like Bluesky and Mastodon under a broader, interoperable infrastructure.

The Problem: Fragmented Social Networks

Today’s open social web consists of disconnected platforms operating under protocols like:

While these protocols enable decentralization, they remain largely siloed. Bridgy Fed is working to connect Bluesky to the broader fediverse, acting as a bridge to enable communication across platforms.

The Vision of A New Social

Barrett’s journey began as a personal side project with Bridgy Fed. However, its growing importance and heated discussions around implementation revealed the need for a more formal structure. Rather than raising VC funds—where business models often dictate direction—Barrett and Ahooja opted for a nonprofit.

Ahooja had already envisioned a collection of open social tools under a unified nonprofit, and their collaboration “just clicked.” A New Social seeks to:

  1. Support Projects Like Bridgy Fed: Build tools that connect open protocols.
  2. Unify Networks: Bridge the gap between systems like Bluesky, ActivityPub, and future protocols like Farcaster and nostr.
  3. Collaborate With Industry Leaders: Platforms like Mastodon, Meta (via Threads), and Bluesky are already engaged, ensuring these connections are meaningful and effective.

Funding and Future Goals

A New Social will rely on crowdfunding, grants, and industry investments to sustain and scale its efforts. Discussions with industry partners are already underway. After establishing Bridgy Fed, the organization will identify and support other projects that align with its mission to create a cohesive open social web.

Collaboration with Other Nonprofits

A New Social enters a space with growing momentum. The Social Web Foundation (SWF), led by ActivityPub co-author Evan Prodromou, recently launched to expand the fediverse and improve user experience. A New Social plans to collaborate with SWF and organizations like IFTAS to drive progress collectively.

Why It Matters

The era of closed social platforms is being challenged by decentralized, user-focused solutions. By connecting protocols and unifying efforts, A New Social and Bridgy Fed are laying the foundation for a more open, interoperable, and user-empowered web.

This marks the beginning of a new chapter where competition gives way to collaboration, ensuring the open social web thrives for years to come.

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