Bluesky, the emerging social media platform, announced on Monday that it has officially surpassed 10 million users. This impressive growth is primarily due to a recent surge in popularity following the ban of X, formerly known as Twitter, in Brazil.
In a celebratory message on its platform, Bluesky posted, “If you’re reading this, you’re one of the first 10 million users on Bluesky!” The platform also features a fun easter egg: when users click on a celebration emoji on the homepage, they can see their unique joining number and share it with friends. This interactive element adds a personal touch to the user experience.
The Impact of X’s Ban in Brazil
Last month, Brazil’s Supreme Court imposed a ban on X and set fines for users attempting to access it through VPNs. This decision created a gap in the social media market, leading many users to seek alternatives. As a result, platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads have seen dramatic increases in their user bases. Currently, both apps rank among the top 10 social media applications in Brazil’s App Store and Play Store.
Bluesky experienced a remarkable influx of 3 million new users within just days of X’s ban, pushing its total user count past 9 million earlier this month. The company reported that over 85% of these new users are from Brazil, indicating a strong regional interest in the platform.
Record Activity and Technical Challenges
In addition to gaining new users, Bluesky has reported record levels of activity on its platform. However, this rapid growth has not come without challenges. The sudden surge in sign-ups led to some technical issues, with users encountering “Not Enough Resources” errors as the platform’s servers struggled to keep up with demand. Despite these hiccups, Bluesky has worked quickly to stabilize its services.
After spending nearly a year in invite-only mode, Bluesky opened its doors to all users in February. This move allowed more people to join and explore the platform’s features.
New Features and User Engagement
Last week marked another milestone for Bluesky as it introduced video posting capabilities for users. This addition is expected to enhance user engagement and attract even more content creators to the platform. Additionally, Bluesky rolled out self-moderation tools that allow users to control who can quote their posts, hide replies, and mute specific words for a set time. These features empower users to curate their experience and manage interactions more effectively.
