• Bluesky, a decentralized social media app tied to Twitter’s pre-Elon Musk leadership, has been made available on Apple’s App Store as of March 1.
• The platform uses the AT Protocol ⁠— a federated network that relies on cryptography to store data in a decentralized way.
• Despite gaining most users during the Twitter exodus, Mastodon saw its user count drop from 2.5 million to 1.4 million in January — an ominous sign for Bluesky’s competing product.

Twitter-Adjacent Bluesky App Hits Apple Store

As of March 1, the decentralized social media app Bluesky is now available on Apple’s App Store. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey first announced the project in 2019 and it was joined by Jay Graber as CEO in 2021.

How Does it Work?

The app is currently in private beta, and users must enter an invite code to use it; additional invite codes can be obtained by contacting Graber directly. Bluesky does not have any cryptocurrency-related features or store data on a blockchain; however it does use the AT Protocol – a federated network that relies on cryptography to store data in a decentralized way, making it similar to blockchain technology while allowing self-ownership of data. Graber also noted last October that this type of cryptography is relatively easy to integrate with cryptocurrency features if needed in future updates.

Competition From Other Decentralized Platforms

Bluesky may be arriving at an opportune time due to Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter prompting some users to leave and move towards decentralized alternatives such as Mastodon; despite this migration trend Mastodon still saw its user count fall from 2.5 million to 1.4 million in January – an ominous sign for Bluesky’s competing product. Various other decentralized networks have gone live recently such as Nostr’s Damus (launched Feb 1) and Emurgo’s Spot (launched Feb 16). Lens Protocol linked with Aave also went live mid 2022 which further adds competition for Bluesky’s market entry success rate.

Conclusion

Overall, with other platforms already active and offering similar services, there will be stiff competition for Bluesky despite being one step closer towards public launch through its availability on Apple’s App Store from March 1st onwards . It remains uncertain what type of impact this new platform will have upon current industry trends but nevertheless it offers intriguing possibilities into potential future developments within the field of distributed ledger technology’s applications within social media contexts .

Author Profile: Mike Dalton

Mike Dalton trained in library and information sciences before moving into crypto writing back in 2018; he currently lives on the West Coast of Canada where he works as Journalist at CryptoSlate