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Bluesky’s Rapid Rise Hits a Wall: Is the Hype Over?
Bluesky, a social media platform positioned as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter), experienced rapid growth following the U.S. presidential election in November 2024. The app saw its user base explode from over 9 million in September to more than 20 million by November, driven by a mass migration of users dissatisfied with X’s growing direction under Elon Musk’s leadership.
Slowing But Steady Growth
In December 2024, Bluesky’s meteoric rise began to level out. According to analytics firm Similarweb, the platform’s user growth in the U.S. fell to less than 10% month-over-month, a stark contrast to the 189% jump in November. Daily active users of the Bluesky mobile app grew 12% in December, compared to a dramatic 284% spike the previous month.
Despite this slowdown, Bluesky now boasts 26.44 million users and continues rolling out features familiar to X users, such as Trending Topics.
Why the Shift?
Bluesky gained traction as X users, including Hollywood celebrities, musicians, authors, and journalists, sought…