Bluesky and Nostr, both decentralized Twitter-like social platforms backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, are rapidly growing in popularity. Bluesky, which is actually a proof-of-concept front-end to the underlying AT Protocol, released its Android app a few days ago and has seen a significant increase in its user base of about 1,000 to 2,500 new members a day. In contrast, Nostr has more than a dozen apps and services operating on its framework, with as many as 16 million users and 780,000 daily active users according to Nostr.Band. Both platforms are separate from Mastodon and ActivityPub, a long-running decentralized social network and protocol founded in 2016 that has struggled with declining user growth and activity. While Nostr has been embraced by technical communities, Bluesky has drawn a more diverse mix of users. Dorsey is most publicly affiliated with Bluesky, but he is more active on Nostr. Both platforms have faced growing pains in terms of technical issues and conversations surrounding moderation and safety, with demands for the ability to block or mute other users or threads. Meanwhile, on Nostr, a debate has erupted over "Zaps," which are interactions that some users suggest should replace the old-fashioned "like" button entirely.

(By Ryan Ozawa)