Bluesky, the decentralized social app founded by Jack Dorsey, has surpassed 30 million users as of February 2025. The platform's growth can be attributed to several policy changes at X (formerly Twitter), including a heavily criticized change to the block feature and allowing third-party companies to train their AI on users' posts. These changes led to an exodus of users from X, with many flocking to Bluesky.

However, despite reaching this milestone, Bluesky's growth has slowed, and the platform still has a long way to go to catch up to Meta's Threads, which boasts 275 million monthly active users. Bluesky's user base is growing, but it faces stiff competition from established players in the social media space.

Bluesky's decentralized architecture and open-source framework, known as the AT Protocol, set it apart from traditional social media platforms. The platform's focus on community-specific moderation and algorithmic choice has attracted users looking for a more transparent and customizable social media experience.

The app's user interface is similar to X, with features like posting, replying, liking, and reporting. Users can also create custom feeds, which allow them to subscribe to multiple different algorithms that showcase different kinds of posts. Additionally, Bluesky has introduced a "Starter Pack" feature, which creates a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow, making it easier for new users to find interesting content.

Bluesky has also attracted a number of high-profile users, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Cuban, and Barbra Streisand. The platform has also become a hub for news organizations, with Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and TechCrunch all having a presence on the platform.

Despite its growth, Bluesky has faced criticism for its moderation policies, with some users accusing the platform of failing to protect marginalized users and failing to moderate racist content. The platform has also faced controversy over its handling of certain users, including writer and podcast host Jesse Singal, who was banned and then reinstated after users reported his account en masse.

In response to these criticisms, Bluesky has rolled out new moderation features, including automated tooling designed to flag content that violates its Community Guidelines. The platform has also launched Ozone, a tool that lets users create and run their own independent moderation services, giving users more control over their social media experience.

As Bluesky continues to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see how it competes with established players in the social media space. With its decentralized architecture and focus on community-specific moderation, Bluesky has the potential to become a major player in the social media landscape.

For those interested in learning more about Bluesky, TechCrunch has put together a helpful guide on how to use the platform. Additionally, users can follow TechCrunch's Starter Pack on Bluesky to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends in the tech industry.