NFT community flocks to Bluesky, the blockchain version of Twitter
Bluesky, a social media platform built on a decentralized protocol and incubated by Twitter, is starting to attract attention as the most promising rival to its progenitor. As the beta gradually lets in more users, Bluesky is beginning to attract prominent NFT creators, artists, builders, and collectors.
NFT creators and influencers joining Bluesky in droves
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 such as 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.
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 (rumored to be Snoop Dogg), and digital artist and September Mourning musician Emily Lazar.
Vinnie Hager is among many digital 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.
Understanding decentralized social media
Just like Nostr, Bluesky is a direct Twitter clone that offers a familiar user experience and interface with dedicated apps for iOS and Android devices. Its 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, a competitor to Reddit 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.
Few are ready to replace centralized social media
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. Maybe Bluesky will be a better fit for those ready to abandon the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and all the other gigantic social media platforms.
Bluesky is attracting prominent Web3 creators, artists, and collectors, some of whom are praising its early atmosphere. Some early adopters are optimistic that Bluesky may become a popular decentralized social media platform for the Web3 community, but it remains to be seen whether it will gain mainstream adoption.
For now, it appears that Bluesky is all good vibes again for NFT Twitter.
