Bluesky Emerges from Closed Beta, Invites Open Sign-Ups, and Plans Third-Party Server Hosting”

Bluesky, the unique and decentralized Twitter alternative, gained significant attention last year, amassing over two million users in closed beta. The conversation has since shifted to ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol behind Mastodon and Meta’s Threads.

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Bluesky

Now, Bluesky is reemerging by removing its invite system, allowing open sign-ups. Later this month, it plans to let external developers host servers on its AT Protocol, competing with ActivityPub, giving users the option to explore experiences beyond the company’s control.

CEO Jay Graber mentions that Bluesky needed to enhance moderation features and stabilize infrastructure before moving out of closed beta. With over 3 million sign-ups in a year, the app aims to convert more users into active participants with the removal of invite restrictions. Bluesky, operating as a public benefit entity, currently has 1.6 million monthly users and 25,000 custom feeds, showcasing its quirky nature.

Bluesky’s AT Protocol will be open to third-party developers soon, enabling the creation of servers with unique rules. The gradual rollout is labeled as an “experimental rollout” to ensure a smooth transition. While Bluesky plans to monetize through various means, including charging for additional features and taking a percentage of purchases, it also envisions a Cloudflare-like enterprise arm to assist others in managing servers on the AT Protocol.

Aware that Bluesky currently controls the AT Protocol, Graber plans to transfer control to a web standards body, like the Internet Engineering Task Force, to facilitate broader industry adoption. Although interoperability with ActivityPub is not currently on the roadmap, Graber acknowledges the ongoing experimentation in the evolving landscape of decentralized social networking.