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Bluesky and the AT Protocol: Usable Decentralized Social Media
Bluesky is a new social network built upon the AT Protocol, a decentralized foundation for public social media. It was launched in private beta in February 2023, and has grown to over 10 million registered users by October 2024. In this paper we introduce the architecture of Bluesky and the AT Protocol, and explain how the technical design of Bluesky is informed by our goals: to enable decentralization by having multiple interoperable providers for every part of the system; to make it easy for users to switch providers; to give users agency over the content they see; and to provide a simple user experience that does not burden users with complexity arising from the system's decentralized nature. The system's openness allows anybody to contribute to content moderation and community management, and we invite the research community to use Bluesky as a dataset and testing ground for new approaches in social media moderation.
Beyond Bluesky: These are the apps building social experiences on the AT Protocol | TechCrunch
A list of AT Protocol-based, consumer-facing apps that are either built on top of Bluesky or its underlying protocol, allowing users to take back control over their social networking experiences and personal data.
Bluesky: An Open Social Web - Bluesky
We’re excited to announce that the Bluesky network is federating and opening up in a way that allows you to host your own data.
Appendix:Xanadu - AT Protocol Paper Errata and Details
A description of known problems in Bluesky PBC's paper, "Bluesky and the AT Protocol: Usable Decentralized Social Media", as well as notes on terminology changes and how Bluesky's implementation differs from that described in the paper.
AT Protocol
The AT Protocol is a protocol and set of open standards for decentralized publishing and distribution of self-authenticating data within the social web. It serves as the technical foundation of the Bluesky social network, originally developed as a reference implementation for the protocol, as well as an ecosystem of interoperable social applications and services collectively referred to as the ATmosphere.
Bluesky Protocol Services
High scale open social, unlocked for every builder. Bluesky operates public infrastructure for the AT Protocol — Jetstream, Relay, and the Bluesky API — as open services anyone can build on.
Bluesky Is an App. The AT Protocol Is the Internet Beneath It. - Ewan’s Blog
There is a confusion that keeps recurring, and it is understandable enough that it is worth addressing directly.
Bluesky Is an App. The AT Protocol Is the Internet Beneath It. - Ewan’s Blog
There is a confusion that keeps recurring, and it is understandable enough that it is worth addressing directly.
BlueSky - The Future of Social Media
Watch BlueSky's user base grow in real-time. Innovative, decentralized social networking is here!
The AT Protocol's interesting design - LittleBit
Bluesky's backend was made to be more than a social network
Nodiux. A lightweight web app to explore Bluesky decentralized conversations and networks
The rise of Bluesky marks a significant shift in the social media landscape — away from centralized control and toward open, federated protocols. Powered by the AT Protocol, Bluesky enables users t…
Get Started | Bluesky Protocol Services
Bluesky operates public infrastructure for the AT Protocol — Jetstream, Relay, and the Bluesky API — as open services you can build on today, no permission required. Start with Jetstream.
Bryan Newbold: Protocol engineering
A protocol engineer at the social-media platform Bluesky describes building an open protocol around a fast-growing social media platform.
AT Protocol, OAuth, and well, decentralization
I've been very happy with how Bluesky and AT Protocol as a whole is going, except for one thing: OAuth.
