Bluesky Decentralized Social Media Built on Open Source Protocol

Bluesky is a decentralized social media application that looks and feels much like the former Twitter, yet it is built on an entirely different technical philosophy. Instead of storing all user data on a single corporate server, the platform runs on the Authenticated Transfer Protocol, an open source framework that lets individuals choose where their posts, likes, and follower lists live. This design means people can move their accounts from one hosting provider to another without losing their social graph, a freedom that traditional networks do not allow.

The project began inside Twitter in 2019 as a research initiative led by then chief executive Jack Dorsey, and it became an independent public benefit corporation two years later. After an invite only beta period, Bluesky opened to the public in February 2024 and has since grown to more than twenty million registered users. Growth has been especially sharp during moments of uncertainty at larger rivals, with some reports showing the service adding a million new accounts per day as users seek a more transparent and user controlled experience.

User interaction happens through short posts of up to two hundred and fifty six characters, supported by photos, links, replies, likes, and reposts. Rather than relying on a single algorithmic feed, Bluesky offers personalized and discover streams, plus thousands of community built custom feeds that anyone can create or subscribe to. Moderation is handled through an optional system of labelers, independent services that tag content without removing it, so individuals decide which filters to apply and which block lists to trust.

For developers, the entire protocol is public, enabling anyone to build new clients, feed generators, or even completely separate social applications that can still communicate with Bluesky users. This federated approach mirrors email, where Gmail and Outlook users can exchange messages despite running on different systems. By giving people ownership of their identities and data while encouraging open competition in features and moderation, Bluesky aims to prove that social networking can thrive without locking users into a single corporate walled garden.