Two years after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, now rebranded as X, alternative social media platforms have been gaining traction. Among them, Bluesky has emerged as a frontrunner, surpassing 25 million users as of January 2025. The decentralized social app, conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has been attracting users disillusioned with X's policy changes and seeking a more open and customizable platform.

Bluesky's growth can be attributed to several factors, including X's controversial changes to its block feature and its decision to allow third-party companies to train their AI on users' posts. The app's popularity also received a boost following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, which led to an exodus of users from X, including Taylor Swift fans. While Bluesky's growth has slowed down, it still has a significant way to go to catch up with Meta's Threads, which boasts 275 million monthly active users.

So, what is Bluesky? The decentralized social app is built on an open-source framework, the AT Protocol, which allows for transparency and community-specific moderation. Users can create a handle and display name, and even turn a domain name they own into their username. The app's functionality is similar to X, with features like posting, replying, liking, and reporting, as well as a "Discover" feed that offers personalized content suggestions.

Bluesky has been actively developing new features, including a "Starter Pack" to help new users find interesting content, and a Trending Topics feature. The app has also introduced direct messaging, albeit with limitations, and is working on a photo-sharing app called Flashes. Notably, Bluesky has committed to not using user content to train generative AI tools, a move that sets it apart from X.

The social network has attracted a diverse range of users, including notable figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Cuban, and Weird Al Yankovic. News organizations like Bloomberg and The Washington Post have also joined the platform. In a significant development, Bluesky has started allowing heads of state to sign up and join the platform.

Bluesky's decentralized nature and open-source protocol have sparked interest among developers, who can build their own social apps using the AT Protocol. This federated design allows for endless individually operated communities to exist within the network, giving users the freedom to choose and exit as they please. The company has also announced a $1 million fund, dubbed Skyseed, to offer grants to developers building on the AT Protocol.

Despite its growth and unique features, Bluesky has faced criticism for its moderation issues, particularly with regards to protecting marginalized users and addressing racist content. The company has been working to address these concerns, introducing moderation features like user lists and moderation lists, as well as a tool called Ozone that lets users create and run their own independent moderation services.

As Bluesky continues to evolve and improve, it remains a promising alternative to X and other social media platforms. With its commitment to decentralization, customization, and user freedom, the app is poised to become a major player in the social media landscape.

If you're interested in learning more about Bluesky, you can follow TechCrunch's Starter Pack or check out our comprehensive guide on how to use the app.