Bluesky, the decentralized social network, recently announced a notable increase in its user base, gaining an impressive two million new members in just one week. This significant growth brings the platform's total user base to around 8.4 million, a significant increase in a short period of time. The announcement, which was also translated into Portuguese, suggests that a significant portion of these new users could be from Brazil. Bluesky's growth can be attributed to several factors. The platform has been actively rolling out features sought by users, such as direct messaging, and plans for group messaging, media support, and end-to-end encryption are in the pipeline. Additionally, Bluesky's decentralized nature and focus on user control could be attractive to individuals looking for alternatives to traditional social media platforms.
While Bluesky may not yet be able to match the feature set of more established platforms, the company plans to introduce video capabilities in its next major update, which could further broaden its appeal and help retain its growing user base. The platform, founded in 2019 by Twitter's Jack Dorsey, initially launched as an invitation-only network but opened to the public earlier this year.
Interestingly, Dorsey, who resigned from Bluesky's board in May, has since expressed concerns that the platform is “repeating the mistakes” he made at Twitter. Despite this, Bluesky's recent surge shows its growing popularity and potential to become a major player in the social media landscape.
Bluesky's rapid growth is indicative of a broader trend of users seeking alternative social media platforms that prioritize user control, privacy, and innovative features. As the platform continues to evolve and expand its offerings, it will be exciting to see how it shapes the future of social networking and whether it can sustain its current momentum.