decrypt.co
Social media platform Bluesky, which is built on a decentralized protocol and was incubated by Twitter before the Elon Musk era, is starting to capture buzz as the most promising rival to its progenitor.
And now, as the beta gradually lets in more and more users, Bluesky is starting to attract prominent NFT creators, artists, builders, and collectors. Over the past few days, a number of notable NFT and Web3 projects have established Bluesky accounts, and their creators, along with other artists and personalities, have also expanded out from Twitter.
Prominent creators, including DeGods and y00ts founder Rohun “Frank” Vora, pseudonymous Deadfellaz NFT project co-creator Betty, and Rug Radio co-founder and co-CEO Farokh Sarmad have made their way to the Twitter clone—and all of those projects have similarly established their own accounts. All three creators have tweeted about their Bluesky presence.
K I’m on @bluesky who’s there https://t.co/ol4txRDkem pic.twitter.com/SgAHKee0Ai
— BETTY (@betty_nft) April 19, 2023
“We hear you’re here for the decentralization of media, so we had to join,” Rug Radio posted on Bluesky this week. In a later message, it asked Bluesky users, “What is decentralization to you?”
Other Web3 creators who have joined include digital artists Vinnie Hager, Patrick Amadon, Ryan “ThankYouX” Wilson, and Pindar Van Arman, along with photographer John Knopf, pseudonymous Cozomo de’ Medici, and digital artist and September Mourning musician Emily Lazar.
Hager, who tweeted this week that he was "about to flood Bluesky with my art," did just that on the new platform, sharing a photo of a piece of artwork—a New York City subway map with his distinctive style of doodles on top—with the caption “Blue Sky.”
He’s among many artists who are sharing and resharing artwork on the platform, and some Web3 enthusiasts have noted the prevalence of artwork on the platform so far.
“My feed is all art. This app is heaven,” wrote NFT Now founder and CEO Matt Medved, also a noted digital art collector. “I started collecting on Tezos to decompress and appreciate art without any financial calculus. Bluesky feels like the social media equivalent,” he added.
Alright @jack let’s see what Bluesky is all about! Hit me on there and I’ll follow the fam back! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ncnae9785a
— Farokh (@farokh) April 19, 2023
To be clear, all of these Web3 creators and personalities are still posting on Twitter, which has a dramatically larger user base and long-established accounts that have amassed followers. Twitter claims hundreds of millions of monthly users, while Bluesky’s user count appears to be in the ballpark of just tens of thousands in total amid the gradual, invite-driven beta rollout.
Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey launched what would become Bluesky in 2019, aiming to create a decentralized social media protocol that Twitter itself could someday adopt. After a couple of years of quiet development, the project emerged and spun out after Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter, raising $13 million in funding.
Many Twitter users looking to break free initially turned to Mastodon, a decentralized platform, but some found the experience lacking compared to the original site. This is where Bluesky enters the picture. As a more direct Twitter clone, Bluesky offers a familiar user experience and interface with dedicated apps for iOS and Android devices.
Wohoo! We're now officially part of the @bluesky club 🥳
🔵We are thrilled to announce that we have joined the decentralized social media protocol.
Give us a follow and let's connect ✨ pic.twitter.com/ymexFO39Bf
— Decrypt (@decryptmedia) April 20, 2023
Bluesky’s federated model allows profile transfers between AT Protocol platforms, and lets users control content-serving algorithms for increased trust in online spaces. The broader AT Protocol may eventually fuel a network of decentralized platforms, although for now, Bluesky is just one small, relatively centralized pocket of it.
In contrast to Mastodon, which appeared to lose steam quickly amongst Twitter critics, Bluesky may be better poised to find widespread adoption due to its recognizable interface and user experience. And the decentralized protocol backing it is another selling point for Web3 enthusiasts, perhaps pulling in some early adopters as it starts to take shape.