Bluesky, the decentralized X (formerly Twitter) alternative—co-founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey—has catapulted to prominence in Brazil, gaining a staggering 1 million new users in just three days. The surge comes on the heels of a court-ordered suspension of X in the South American nation.
The rapid influx of Brazilian users was more than welcomed by the social media platform.
“Welcome to the one million new users in the last three days,” the platform said in what is also its most-liked post ever. “This is now a Brazilian app,” it replied—in Portuguese only.
The influx of new users caused some technical issues, with a Bluesky backend engineer reporting Monday that the service saw 20 times its normal server load. The engineer‘s public dashboard of Bluesky metrics shows there are now nearly 7.8 million registered users.
Bluesky's functionality closely mirrors that of X, offering users the ability to post text updates of up to 300 characters, share photos, and repost content. Its origins trace back to an internal project at X, spearheaded by Jack Dorsey in 2019. The platform became independent in 2021.
Bluesky registration, which previously required an invite code, opened fully to the public in February.
Brazil's Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on X on Monday, citing Musk's failure to comply with judicial orders to remove content deemed illegal and appointing a legal representative based in the country—something it has done after requests from other countries. The court's decision has effectively shut down X's sixth-largest global market, boasting 21.5 million users, according to Statista.
Brazilian users attempting to circumvent the X suspension via VPNs will also face steep penalties. The court has imposed a daily fine of R$50,000 (approximately $8,910) for such attempts, with the possibility of criminal charges.
Meanwhile, the corporate value of X has plummeted 72% since Elon Musk's takeover, according to Fidelity's latest valuation. As reported by The Information, Fidelity downgraded Musk’s social media platform to $15 per share, far less than the $54.20 per share that Elon paid to buy the company in 2022.
The financial implications of X's decline extend beyond Musk himself. The $44 billion purchase, financed through a combination of Musk's personal wealth, bank loans, and investments from various partners, has resulted in billions of dollars in losses for those involved.
As X grapples with legal challenges and financial losses, Bluesky is swiftly adapting to its new audience. The platform has begun publishing content in Portuguese and providing localized tutorials for its new users.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has redirected his followers to alternative platforms, including Bluesky and Meta’s Threads.
His last post on X was made on August 30.