Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US election, users are leaving Elon Musk’s X for rival social media platform Bluesky. Bluesky, which has a similar color scheme and logo, has gained traction as a decentralized alternative, attracting around 1 million new users every day.
Currently, the social media platform has 16.7 million users, and this number is growing rapidly. But what exactly is Bluesky? Why is it becoming a haven for people leaving X?
What is Blue Sky?
Brusky describes himself as “what social media should be about.” The platform offers familiar features such as search, notifications, and reposting, but its decentralized design sets it apart.
This setting allows users to host their data on servers outside of your company’s control. Most users choose the standard “.bsky.social” username, but the platform also gives you the option to create a custom domain to add a layer of personalization.
Feature-wise, Bluesky mirrors the original Twitter (now X) experience.
Why would X number of users switch?
Bluesky’s surge in popularity dates back to a time when Republican Donald Trump’s election victory accelerated political divisions. Elon Musk’s support for the next president and his expected involvement in the administration has led many users to look for alternatives.
It’s official — 1,000,000 people joined Bluesky on the last day alone!!!
Welcome 🥳 https://t.co/x6v5YW0WFT pic.twitter.com/ifpjZFpYsf
— bluesky (@bluesky) November 15, 2024
Groups such as the Guardian have also cited other reasons for leaving Company X, calling it a “toxic media platform.”
Celebrities further accelerated the momentum of blue skiing. Popular figures like Lizzo, Ben Stiller, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Patton Oswalt have joined the platform, and some have reduced their presence on X or exited it altogether.
Who owns Blue Sky?
Jack Dorsey, the former head of Twitter, founded Bluesky with the vision of creating a decentralized Twitter-like platform. However, Dorsey resigned from the Blue Sky board in May 2024 and deleted his account in September.
Bluesky is currently led by CEO Jay Graber and operates as a U.S. public benefit corporation, according to the BBC.
blue sky marketing
Unlike X, Bluesky has eschewed traditional advertising. The platform initially raised funding through investors and venture capital, and is currently considering paid services such as custom domain names for usernames.
Although Bluesky is growing rapidly, it still has a long way to go to challenge Elon Musk’s claim that X has 250 million daily active users.
