Bluesky vs Twitter: The Future of Identity in Decentralized Social Media

Wass B. -

As Bluesky has grown, it’s seen a wave of impersonation attempts, especially of celebrities and public figures. Scammers have posed as musicians, politicians, and thought leaders. Community members even began creating ad-hoc verification systems to fill the gap. With major names like Barack Obama joining the platform, establishing legitimacy and safety has become urgent.

How do we verify who’s real in a world without gatekeepers?

1. Bluesky, Domains, and the NYT: A New Approach to Verification

Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform built on the AT Protocol, has introduced a novel model of identity verification rooted in DNS, i.e. the infrastructure of the internet itself.

Let’s say a journalist joins Bluesky. By default, they receive a generic handle like alice.bsky.social. But if that journalist works at The New York Times, the company can publish a simple DNS TXT record under nytimes.com stating that alice.bsky.social is part of their organization.

The result? That journalist can now use the handle: alice.nytimes.com

That handle becomes their portable, verifiable identity. It’s not issued by Bluesky, but it’s backed by nytimes.com. And that’s a powerful shift.

This model leans into what Bluesky calls “self-authenticating handles.” Instead of verification being granted by a centralized authority, identity is linked to ownership of a domain (or association with a domain). If you can publish to a domain’s DNS records, you can verify people under it.

The New York Times serves as a trusted verifier, marked by a distinctive scalloped blue check. Credits: @alice.mosphere.at

But What Are the Limits?

This model, while clever, is not without its challenges:

  • Who decides what domains are trustworthy? Just because someone owns a domain doesn’t mean they’re reputable or ethical.
  • Mistakes and impersonations can still happen. What if a trusted domain verifies the wrong person? Who is accountable?
  • Reputation varies wildly. While a domain like nytimes.com carries weight, others might not. Not all verifiers are created equal.
  • The domain system is still web2 infrastructure. It’s decentralized-ish, but not native to blockchain or peer-to-peer models.
  • Elitism risk. If you’re not affiliated with a large organization, how do you get verified? Newcomers and independents may be left out.

Bluesky’s Evolving Verification System

In April 2025, Bluesky added a new layer: visual verification badges. The platform began issuing blue checkmarks for “authentic and notable” accounts. A move reminiscent of legacy social networks.

But crucially, Bluesky also introduced the Trusted Verifiers program, which decentralizes part of the verification process. Organizations like The New York Times and WIRED can now verify accounts under their umbrella. A single user can even be verified by multiple organizations at once, creating a richer, layered trust signal.

This hybrid approach reflects the philosophy of: decentralization where possible, but pragmatism where necessary. With under 25 employees, Bluesky simply can’t manually verify millions of users. Delegating trust to known institutions is both efficient and strategically decentralized.

To give users full control, Bluesky also allows them to hide all verification checkmarks in their settings. A small but significant gesture that respects individual preference.

Tap the blue check to trace the trust. Credits: @alice.mosphere.at

2. How Do Other Systems Handle Identity Verification?

Bluesky’s solution sits within a broader landscape of identity systems, each with different trade-offs. Here's how they compare:

3. Why Maximum Viable Decentralization Matters

At AKASHA, we believe in Maximum Viable Decentralization (MVD). It’s the idea that systems should decentralize as far as they can go while still maintaining a delightful user experience.

Bluesky is an example of this approach:

  • Its DNS-based model decentralizes identity without forcing users to learn cryptography.
  • Its Trusted Verifiers program empowers communities to vouch for their own.
  • Its checkmark visibility toggle respects user agency.

It’s not pure decentralization, but it’s practical, open, and evolving.

The key is balance. Let users decide who they trust. Let communities verify their own. Let reputation emerge bottom-up, not be imposed top-down.

At AKASHA, we’re watching — and building — with these lessons in mind.

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