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In the aftermath of the 2024 US electionsan unexpected migration is shaking up the digital landscape. Millions of users are leaving X (formerly Twitter) to join Blue Skya social network with a blue butterfly logo. In just ten days, Bluesky doubles its user base, reaching over 22 million accounts. Ex-Twitter, journalists, media, Taylor Swift fans, curious people and businesses flock there. But beyond a technological rivalry, Bluesky carries an alternative vision of the Internet, embodied by its founder Jay Graber.
At the origins: a quest for freedom
The story begins in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1991. Jay Graber, born Lantian (“blue sky” in Chinese), grew up with an instinctive distrust of centralized systems and a fascination with autonomy. It was in China, during a university internship, that she discovered bitcoin, a technology that she saw as a promise to reinvent financial systems. Back in the United States, she invested in cryptocurrencies and the ideas of a decentralized internet.
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In 2019, she met Jack Dorsey, then CEO of Twitter. He too dreams of a different model for social networks, where users control their data. Together, they launched the Bluesky project, an experiment around an open protocol.
Independence as a condition
In 2021, Jay Graber agrees to lead Bluesky, on one condition: its independence from Twitter. A visionary intuition, since shortly after, Twitter was bought by Elon Musk. Under his leadership, the platform, renamed X, underwent a profound transformation: massive layoffs, removal of moderation and proliferation of extremist speech. Meanwhile, Bluesky’s 20-person team is silently developing an opposing vision: a decentralized, user-friendly internet.
An unprecedented digital exodus
The turning point comes in November 2024. The re-election of Donald Trump intensifies tensions on X, transformed into an ideological battlefield. Thousands of users are closing their accounts and migrating to Bluesky. In one week, the platform went from 14 to 20 million users. More than a technical challenge, this upheaval marks a cultural change: Bluesky becomes an oasis of courtesy, where personalized feeds bring users together around common passions, such as music or politics. “It was like going back to the old Twitter,” many new followers say.
A disruptive economic model
Unlike tech giants, Bluesky refuses algorithmic advertising. “We don’t want an internet where users are the product,” says Graber. Instead, the platform focuses on premium subscriptions, offering advanced customization tools and developer services. It also develops the ecosystem AT Protocolallowing third parties to create applications and generating revenue through technical services.
A promising but uncertain future
Despite its success, Bluesky faces major challenges: maintaining its independence from investors’ expectations and proving the viability of its business model. Jack Dorsey, now in the background, remains cautious: “What happened to Twitter could not happen to Bluesky, but the road will be difficult. »
However, Bluesky is not just a social network. It is a bold attempt to reinvent the internet, by offering an alternative to centralized platforms. “If we succeed, we will pave the way for a new digital world,” concludes Jay Graber.
A utopia under a blue sky
Bluesky embodies more than an application: it is a refuge and a vision for the future. Under a bright blue sky, the platform traces its path, fragile but full of promise. For its users, it represents a digital utopia within reach.
