Observed Signal · Mar 25, 2025 · Product Launch · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Barack Obama joins Bluesky as X/Threads alternative
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has joined Bluesky, the open‑source social platform marketed as a progressive alternative to Elon Musk’s X and Meta’s Threads. Obama’s first Bluesky post commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and frames civic engagement amid current politics. Bluesky is positioned as a distinct alternative to its rivals, and the platform is experiencing momentum with approximately 33 million users, partly driven by migration away from X and its perceived political alignments. The network has expanded with 3‑minute videos via the Flashes feature to attract creators. Bluesky’s leadership, including CEO Jay Graber, has engaged in public exchanges with rivals, including a notable SXSW merch moment featuring the slogan Mundus sine Caesaribus, which TechCrunch reports generated strong revenue compared to Custom Domains. Obama’s arrival adds visibility to Bluesky among progressive figures like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, reinforcing Bluesky’s stance as a legitimate alternative to X and Threads.
High-profile political figure joining a notable platform and ongoing competition among social platforms; signals platform visibility and potential impact on the AdTech/MARTECH landscape.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Barack Obama joined Bluesky and posted an ACA anniversary message.
- Bluesky has approximately 33 million users.
- Bluesky launched 3-minute videos via the Flashes app.
- Bluesky merch including Mundus sine Caesaribus shirt reportedly generated more revenue than Custom Domains per TechCrunch.
- Progressive U.S. politicians Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are already on Bluesky.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Bluesky pivots toward Reddit-style community model
Bluesky, the social network that originated inside Twitter, is shifting its strategy away from trying to mirror X or Threads and toward community-driven, Reddit-style spaces, Bluesky COO Rose Wang told CNBC at SXSW London. The platform, built on the open-source AT Protocol, has significantly fewer users and lower engagement than X — roughly 43 million global users as of March and about 10% of X’s estimated global audience. Bluesky raised $100 million in a Series B in April 2025, but daily active posters reportedly fell from a late-2024 peak of 1.4 million to roughly 600,000. Wang said Bluesky will prioritise discovery and community features and needs to modernize video capabilities (upload speeds and longer video length). The company has not ruled out advertising, though it does not view ads as a foregone conclusion.
Bluesky: Super Bowl spike and drafts rollout
Bluesky, an open social network, continues to grow but remains smaller than rivals. In 2025 Bluesky’s user base rose from 25 million to 42 million, while Threads reportedly surpasses 400 million monthly active users. Growth is aided by high-profile accounts and events, including media outlets and figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Stephen King, and the New York Times, plus major events like the Super Bowl with Bad Bunny, which boosted Bluesky activity by about 70% during the game. The platform also rolled out version v1.116, introducing a Drafts feature in the Post Composer to create and save posts for later. A welcome-screen refresh accompanied the release, featuring artwork by @odpomery.bsky.social with light and dark theme variants.
X Adds Native Post Scheduling in App
Social media platform X has introduced a native post scheduling feature directly within its mobile app, eliminating the need for users to rely on the browser version or third-party tools. The feature allows users to schedule posts up to two years in advance, providing significant flexibility for content planning. The functionality is initially rolling out on iOS, with indications of availability in Europe, and is expected to expand globally and to Android later. This update benefits social media managers, businesses, and creators by enabling better content organization and batch production. In parallel, X continues to enhance its advertising capabilities with the X Ads MCP, which allows advertisers to create ads using AI tools through natural language commands.
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