Bluesky and Mastodon are working towards being accessible through a single app, with Bluesky leading the charge. The decentralized social network, which originated within Twitter, is supporting a project called SkyBridge that aims to bridge Mastodon requests with Bluesky requests. This would allow consumer apps like Ivory to be compatible with Bluesky as well.
The SkyBridge project received a grant of $4,800 from Bluesky, making it the second-largest recipient in the current cohort. Bluesky announced its intention to use funds from the AT Protocol Grant program to support development efforts in the developer ecosystem.
While the grant amount is not substantial, it serves as an incentive for developers to explore the new AT Protocol. Additionally, it showcases the type of development work that Bluesky endorses, potentially attracting developers who have been disappointed by Twitter’s shifting priorities in the past.
Other recipients of the program funding are also working on valuable projects. For instance, Blacksky Algorithms is creating custom moderation services for Black users on Bluesky. Various other projects focusing on consumer apps, developer tools, and analytics resources are also in progress.
SkyBridge stands out as a project that could broaden the reach of the startup significantly.
If successful, SkyBridge could enable users to access Bluesky content through their preferred Mastodon app. This bridge is undergoing testing on Ivory for iOS and Mac, developed by the team behind the popular Tweetbot app. The project developer @videah.net is optimistic about its progress, despite a recent rewrite from Dart to Rust.
Bluesky’s decision to develop a new decentralized social networking protocol sets it apart from older apps powered by ActivityPub like Mastodon. This distinction requires users to switch apps to access Bluesky, disrupting their fediverse user experience.
With nearly 5.6 million users on Bluesky and over 10 million on the wider ActivityPub-fediverse, the potential impact of SkyBridge is significant. The bridge aims to translate Mastodon API calls to Bluesky API calls, simplifying user interaction across platforms.
Bluesky’s support for SkyBridge signals a commitment to uniting Mastodon and Bluesky, potentially transforming how users engage with social networks in the future.
