Bluesky recorded its highest daily numbers of posts, replies and likes in 2026 on Tuesday during the US midterm elections, the company's executives said.
Daily posts and likes doubled during the US midterm elections, CEO Toni Schneider said on the platform. "We're seeing a wave of new people joining and old friends coming back," Schneider posted.
COO Rose Wang told TechCrunch that usage began to peak between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. PT, as many election results were being reported. Compared to the previous 30-day averages, daily posts increased by 30% and likes by 70%, while clicks on links jumped 20%.
According to open-source data, Bluesky reached 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts and 2 million new follows on November 4, nearly matching the all-time record of 45 million likes set in November 2024. The platform's data traffic was 200% higher than usual, reaching up to 35.8 GB per second.
Bluesky has sometimes been referred to as "Twitter for the left" due to its user base seeming to skew politically left. The platform's most concentrated period of growth came after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Tuesday's activity spike coincided with overwhelming victories for the Democratic party.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- This usage spike shows Bluesky's growing relevance in political discourse and as an alternative to platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
- The record traffic may attract advertisers and investors, confirming the platform's staying power after its initial post-2024 growth.
- If Bluesky can sustain engagement beyond election cycles, it could solidify its position as a major social platform.
Background
Bluesky is a decentralized microblogging platform founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, launched publicly in early 2024. It saw its largest growth after the 2024 US presidential election when many users migrated from X. The platform has positioned itself as a more community-governed alternative to centralized social networks.
What to Watch
- Whether Bluesky can sustain its daily active user count in the weeks following the election.
- Any policy or moderation changes the company may introduce to manage the influx of new users.
- How competitors, particularly X and Threads, respond to Bluesky's growth.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedBluesky hit its peak daily usage during the US midterm elections.TechCrunch: “Bluesky hit peak usage for the year on election night. The blue wave swept Bluesky on Tuesday night as the microblogging platform recorded its highest daily number of posts, replies, and likes in 2026.”
- SupportedOpen-source data put Bluesky at 44 million likes.TechCrunch: “According to open source data, Bluesky reached 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts, and 2 million new follows on November 4.”
- SupportedBluesky’s data traffic was 200% higher than usual.TechCrunch: “This jump was especially visible in Bluesky’s data traffic, which was 200% higher than usual, reaching up to 35.8 GB/s.”
- SupportedBluesky recorded its highest daily numbers of posts, replies and likes in 2026 on Tuesday during the US midterm elections.TechCrunch: “The blue wave swept Bluesky on Tuesday night as the microblogging platform recorded its highest daily number of posts, replies, and likes in 2026.”
- SupportedToni Schneider posted, “We're seeing a wave of new people joining and old friends coming back.”TechCrunch: ““We’re seeing a wave of new people joining and old friends coming back,” Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider posted.”
- Partly supportedCEO Toni Schneider said on the platform that daily posts and likes doubled during the midterms.TechCrunch: “According to Schneider, posts and likes doubled during the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday.”
- SupportedUsage began to peak between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. PT as election results were being reported.TechCrunch: “COO Rose Wang told TechCrunch that usage began to peak between 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT, when many election results were rolling in.”
- SupportedDaily posts increased by 30% compared with the previous 30-day average.TechCrunch: “Daily posts and likes increased 30% and 70%, respectively, compared to the previous 30-day averages; clicks on links also spiked 20%.”
- SupportedDaily likes increased by 70% compared with the previous 30-day average.TechCrunch: “Daily posts and likes increased 30% and 70%, respectively, compared to the previous 30-day averages; clicks on links also spiked 20%.”
- SupportedClicks on links increased by 20% compared with the previous 30-day average.TechCrunch: “Daily posts and likes increased 30% and 70%, respectively, compared to the previous 30-day averages; clicks on links also spiked 20%.”
- SupportedBluesky had 4.8 million posts on November 4.TechCrunch: “According to open source data, Bluesky reached 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts, and 2 million new follows on November 4.”
- SupportedBluesky had 2 million new follows on November 4.TechCrunch: “According to open source data, Bluesky reached 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts, and 2 million new follows on November 4.”
