The History of Bluesky
Social Media Platforms
Apr 7, 2025
Like most people, if you think Bluesky was formed as a rebellion to Twitter, you'd be wrong.
Origin Story
Bluesky Social is a decentralized social media platform that originated as a research project inside Twitter back in 2019. Spearheaded by then-CEO Jack Dorsey, the project's primary aim was to:
Explore the development of an open and decentralized standard for social media
Grant users greater control over their data and online experiences
Formation and Leadership
In 2021, Bluesky was spun out and transitioned into an independent company, with Jay Graber appointed as the CEO. Graber, a software engineer with a background in decentralized technologies, had previously:
Founded the social events platform Happening
Contributed to the development of the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash.
The AT Protocol
Bluesky's core innovation is the Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol, an open-source framework designed to facilitate the creation of decentralized social networks. This protocol emphasizes features like account portability, allowing users to move between different hosting services without losing their identity or data.
Launch and Growth
The platform launched as an invite-only beta for iOS users in February 2023, expanding to Android in April 2023. This exclusivity generated significant interest, leading to rapid user base growth. By November 2024, Bluesky had surpassed 20 million users, a surge partly attributed to users seeking alternatives to other social media platforms.
As of January 2025, Bluesky reported having over 30 million users. The platform continues to prioritize decentralization, user control, and privacy, positioning itself as a significant player in the evolving landscape of social media.
Origin Story
Bluesky Social is a decentralized social media platform that originated as a research project inside Twitter back in 2019. Spearheaded by then-CEO Jack Dorsey, the project's primary aim was to:
Explore the development of an open and decentralized standard for social media
Grant users greater control over their data and online experiences
Formation and Leadership
In 2021, Bluesky was spun out and transitioned into an independent company, with Jay Graber appointed as the CEO. Graber, a software engineer with a background in decentralized technologies, had previously:
Founded the social events platform Happening
Contributed to the development of the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Zcash.
The AT Protocol
Bluesky's core innovation is the Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol, an open-source framework designed to facilitate the creation of decentralized social networks. This protocol emphasizes features like account portability, allowing users to move between different hosting services without losing their identity or data.
Launch and Growth
The platform launched as an invite-only beta for iOS users in February 2023, expanding to Android in April 2023. This exclusivity generated significant interest, leading to rapid user base growth. By November 2024, Bluesky had surpassed 20 million users, a surge partly attributed to users seeking alternatives to other social media platforms.
As of January 2025, Bluesky reported having over 30 million users. The platform continues to prioritize decentralization, user control, and privacy, positioning itself as a significant player in the evolving landscape of social media.