The US election has seen a wave of unexpected winners beyond the political landscape, and Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform, is one of them. The platform seems to be benefiting from an exodus of users from X, formerly known as Twitter, following the recent changes under Elon Musk’s leadership.
Bluesky announced yesterday that it had gained a staggering one million new users, a significant milestone considering its recent growth trajectory. According to TechCrunch, the platform reached an estimated 14.6 million users as of November 12, marking a substantial increase from its September 2024 user base of around 9 million. This recent influx of new users has propelled Bluesky to the top of the iOS app charts, reaching the coveted second spot on the US Apple App Store on Monday. While it slipped back a place the following day, Bluesky continued its upward climb, and today, it proudly announced on X that its iPhone app has reached the top of the App Store rankings.
This unexpected surge in popularity raises questions about its possible connection to recent political developments involving Elon Musk. Notably, Donald Trump recently revealed that Musk would be heading a new Department of Government Efficiency, aptly named DOGE, along with venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy. The Independent reported that, despite its name, DOGE will operate independently from the government, focusing on streamlining federal departments, reducing budgets, and potentially firing staff deemed inefficient.
The timing of this announcement and the simultaneous rise of Bluesky is undoubtedly intriguing. Could Musk’s new role, which involves overseeing government efficiency, be influencing user behavior and driving users towards Bluesky? While there is no direct evidence linking the two, the coincidental timing raises eyebrows and fuels speculation.
With Bluesky’s membership continuing to climb, it’s only a matter of time before the platform announces another significant milestone. The recent surge in popularity and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Elon Musk’s new role make Bluesky a fascinating platform to watch in the coming weeks and months. As the situation unfolds, it will be interesting to see if the platform’s growth continues to accelerate and whether it can truly establish itself as a viable alternative to X in the ever-evolving social media landscape.
