Digg, once a prominent name in early internet social news, is officially starting its relaunch. The new version, led by Digg co-founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is rolling out an early-access initiative called “Groundbreakers.” The program gives early supporters a chance to preview and help shape the platform’s future—for a one-time fee of $5.
According to Digg, the fee isn’t about generating revenue but is intended to deter bots and ensure a more engaged user base. All proceeds from the Groundbreakers signups will reportedly be donated to a nonprofit organization, with the specific charity to be selected by the community itself.
Early members who join Groundbreakers will gain access to exclusive updates, feature mockups, and experiments as the platform is rebuilt. They’ll also have the chance to claim usernames before the public launch and receive a “Groundbreakers” badge on their profiles to signify their role in the site’s relaunch.
The early-access experience is being hosted on Circle, a popular community platform used by creators and startups for private discussions and feedback loops. As of Thursday morning, some users reported that the signup process and chat experience were sluggish and occasionally buggy. Despite the rocky start, nearly 3,000 users had joined by the time the program was up and running.
While it’s still unclear what the final version of the new Digg will look like, this soft launch suggests a more community-driven and transparent development approach. It also reflects a broader trend of internet platforms returning with scaled-back, user-focused experiments before launching at full scale.
Whether Digg can regain relevance in a crowded space dominated by social news platforms remains to be seen, but the reboot appears to be aiming for slow and steady development—shaped directly by early users.
