Common questions about Bilibili

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was Bilibili founded and by whom?

Xu Yi launched Bilibili on the 26th of June 2009 as a website initially named Mikufans.cn. The platform was created by a twenty-year-old computer science student to host content for the anime character Hatsune Miku.

What is the danmu system on Bilibili and when was it introduced?

Bilibili introduced the danmu or bullet comment system on the 14th of January 2010. This feature allows users to type messages that scroll directly across the video screen to create a visual layer of real-time conversation.

How did Bilibili become a regulated media company in 2012?

The company became a subsidiary of the state-owned Shanghai Media Group in August 2012 to secure necessary broadcasting licenses. This pivot occurred after the government shut down a broadcast of the anime Fate/Zero and fined the company 10,000 yuan for unauthorized operations.

What are the requirements to become a premium member on Bilibili?

Registered users must pass a 100-question exam on anime and internet culture to become premium members. The platform reinstated this requirement in 2017 with a passing threshold of 60 points after reducing it to 50 questions in 2015.

When did Bilibili list on the NASDAQ and what was the initial public offering value?

Bilibili listed on the NASDAQ on the 28th of March 2018 with an initial public offering of up to 400 million US dollars. Chen Rui transformed the company into a publicly traded entity after taking over the CEO role from Xu Yi in November 2014.

What happened to the Bilibili Content Safety Centre employee in 2022?

An employee of the Bilibili Content Safety Centre in Wuhan died at home on the 4th of February 2022. This incident highlighted the immense stress faced by workers tasked with censoring content during the Spring Festival.