X/Twitter alternative Bluesky breaks the 9 million users barrier

While created as a proof of concept for the AT Protocol, today's Bluesky decentralized microblogging social platform is finally becoming more popular, although this is happening thanks to X/Twitter's legal issues in Brazil. At the end of last week, Bluesky announced that no less than three million users have joined it, bringing the total to over 9 million. For now, the accurate numbers sit at 9.4 million total registered accounts alongside 4.6 million monthly active ones.

The free iPhone app charts for Brazil show that Bluesky is now owner of the silver crown, behind Meta's Threads. What makes it surprising is that, for the time being, Bluesky doesn't support video. However, the company revealed in the post regarding the impressive amount of new users that video support is also in the making and should become available soon.

The AT Protocol mentioned earlier was a Twitter-supported initiative for an open social protocol, and now it stands as an independent effort luring away users from X/Twitter, at least in Brazil (85% of the new users come from there, according to this post). Although it started up in early October 2021, Bluesky (also known as Bsky) remained invitation-only until February 6, 2024. Focused on microbloggin, it is available via the web, alongside Android and iOS apps.

Those interested in Twitter's history can grab Ben Mezrich's Breaking Twitter: Elon Musk and the Most Controversial Corporate Takeover in History off Amazon for free in audiobook format (with membership/free trial), Kindle ($14.99), as well as hardcover ($18.49) and paperback ($21.03).