Bluesky, the decentralized social network founded by Jack Dorsey, has just announced a fundraising of $15 million. The platform, which already has 13 million users, also plans to introduce paid subscriptions for features such as uploading higher quality videos and profile customization. A look back at its impressive growth, closely linked to the news of X, in 9 dates.
2019
It was in 2019 that Jack Dorsey, then CEO of Twitter, presented the Bluesky initiative. Its main objective: to create a decentralized standard for social networks, moving away from the model used by large platforms. It aims to give users more control over their experience, including the ability to choose their own algorithms.
It was initially planned that Twitter would adopt this protocol, but the project was abandoned after the acquisition of the platform by Elon Musk in 2022.
October 4, 2021
Bluesky Social officially incorporated as a public benefit corporation (SOP) on October 4, 2021, marking a significant step in its evolution from a Twitter initiative to an independent entity.
As a public benefit company, Bluesky is legally required to take into account the impact of its decisions on the various stakeholders; this includes users and its employees.
This event allows the platform to focus on the development of the AT protocol, a framework designed to enable decentralized interactions between various social networks.
February 17, 2023
This is the date on which the Bluesky application is launched on iOS in beta version, and by invitation only. Ahead of launch, it is attracting considerable interest, with reports indicating that around 1.9 million people are on the waiting list. The Android application, also available by invitation, is deployed two months later, in April.
May 15, 2023
Shortly after, Bluesky took a big step forward by opening its code base under the MIT license, known for its permissiveness. This is a turning point in its journey to becoming a fully decentralized platform.
The application’s source code is made available on GitHub, allowing developers and users to freely access, modify and distribute it.
September 2023
This is the month during which Bluesky crosses the symbolic mark of one million users. Two months later, it exceeded 2 million, demonstrating its rapid growth.
December 2023
In December 2023, Bluesky announces a new platform and unveils a refreshed corporate logo. An event that reflects its strategy to become a leading player in the social media sector, establishing itself as a real alternative to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and above all, X.
February 6, 2024
Bluesky decides to abandon invitation-only access and makes registration public. An announcement that comes with new features such as cumulative moderation: users can subscribe to additional moderation options beyond the platform’s existing guidelines, which allows personalized content management.
Paid Strategy: In the first 24 hours after this announcement, Bluesky attracts over 800,000 additional users in the first 24 hours.
September 11, 2024
Bluesky continues its development by rolling out video sharing functionality, expanding its capabilities beyond simple text and images. The platform plans to further expand its offering over the coming months, in particular thanks to the fundraising it has just completed.
October 16 to 18, 2024
During these 48 hours, Bluesky Social saw an extraordinary increase in registrations, with more than 1.2 million new entrants. This influx is directly related to the significant changes implemented by X regarding the blocking functionality.
The same phenomenon happened last month, when Elon Musk’s platform was briefly suspended in Brazil. This reflects the proximity of the two social networks: many X users have moved to Bluesky, unhappy with the turn of the former Twitter. Bluesky now has 13 million users.
