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The Rise of Bluesky: Twitter’s Emerging Competitor

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Deanna Ritchie


Twitter is facing competition from a new player that is shaping up to be a formidable competitor in the ever-evolving world of social media. Bluesky is the name of this new contender in the game. Bluesky is a text-based social media platform that has gained a significant amount of traction in recent times, particularly after Elon Musk, the executive chairman and CTO of Twitter, imposed temporary rate limits on the widely used microblogging site. Bluesky has become increasingly popular as a result of this development. As an alternative to Twitter, Bluesky has gained significant traction in recent years. Because of this action, the volume of traffic that uses Bluesky has increased, which has pushed users to research alternative platforms. In this article, we will investigate the expansion of Bluesky, its unique qualities, and the possibility that the platform will shake up the current social media environment.

Bluesky was initially conceived of and developed within Twitter in the year 2019, at the time that Jack Dorsey, one of the co-founders of Twitter, was still serving as CEO. Bluesky was initially developed in-house. AT Protocol is the name of the decentralized networking technology that drives this forward-thinking platform. This protocol was developed by AT Corporation. This protocol has the potential to power future social applications. It will enable users to seamlessly maintain their identities across a variety of platforms while simultaneously utilizing a variety of services.

The Bluesky project made major progress in February 2022 when the Bluesky Public Benefit LLC was established; this represented an important milestone for the project, which continued its march toward completion. A grant of $13 million was given to the corporation, which is headed by CEO Jay Graber, to kickstart the business’s research and development operations. By April 2023, Bluesky has already amassed a user base of more than 50,000, which is indicative of its growing popularity and promise as a viable alternative to Twitter. April of 2023 saw the beginning of operations for Bluesky.

The news that Twitter accounts would be subject to rate limitations prompted a wave of unhappiness among users once it was revealed by Elon Musk. Musk claimed that this action was required because of “extreme levels of data scraping” and “system manipulation” as reasons why it was essential. There were various restrictions placed on the daily quotas of postings that may be read by verified accounts, unverified accounts, and new unverified accounts correspondingly. These restrictions differed depending on which type of account was being used. As a direct result of this, users were greeted with the annoying “Rate limit exceeded” error notification whenever they had reached the maximum number of posts that were allowed for their account. This was a major source of frustration for users.

As a direct response to the rate caps that Twitter requires its users to adhere to, a significant number of users have started utilizing Bluesky as an alternative social networking platform. Because of this sudden increase in demand, Bluesky experienced a level of traffic that had never been seen before, which in turn led to certain problems with the service’s performance. Even though Bluesky is still in the invite-only beta phase of its development at the moment, the platform has received interest due to the unique features it offers and because Jack Dorsey, one of the co-founders of Twitter, is supporting the endeavor. The company swiftly responded to the performance problems by temporarily suspending sign-ups, but they have now reopened the procedure to accommodate the growing user base. The performance concerns were soon addressed by the company. The problems were solved by the company to the point where there were no further interruptions.

Although it is becoming increasingly popular, Bluesky is not the only up-and-coming competitor to Twitter that is on the horizon. In November, a significant level of interest was demonstrated in Mastodon, which is software for decentralized communications. This exhibited a need for alternatives to the various social media sites that are now available. Additionally, the social media behemoth Meta has disclosed that it is researching the idea of building a stand-alone decentralized social network that is solely for text updates, which further underscores the demand for creative platforms in this industry.

Threads is the name of the platform that Meta, the parent company of services such as Facebook and Instagram, has been creating as its alternative to Twitter. This platform goes by the moniker “Threads.” Recent reports have it that the application made a brief appearance on the Google Play store, which indicates that Meta may be getting ready to publish the product. This hypothesis is based on the fact that Meta is preparing for the launch of the application. Even though there is a paucity of information now accessible, Threads has the potential to offer Twitter and other new services, such as Bluesky, significant competition.

Bluesky has positioned itself as an attractive rival in the social media market by establishing a one-of-a-kind decentralized networking technology and by getting support from an industry heavyweight in the form of Jack Dorsey. Both of these developments have enabled Bluesky to position itself as an attractive alternative to existing social media platforms. As a growing number of users explore for answers to Twitter’s rate limits and concerns regarding data scraping, the potential for development and disruption that is presented by Bluesky is becoming more obvious. The fact that the company places a strong emphasis on research and development, in addition to the rapid expansion of its user base, is indicative of positive developments for the company’s prospects in the future.

Bluesky is a brand new social media network that is centered on text and is now in the process of developing as a possible competitor to Twitter in the market. The industry is beginning to take notice of Bluesky. Because of its decentralized networking technology and the endorsement of Jack Dorsey, one of the co-founders of Twitter, Bluesky has gained big attention and enjoyed a significant boost in its user base as a direct result of Elon Musk’s decision to apply rate limits on Twitter. Bluesky also had a significant increase in traffic. Bluesky’s one-of-a-kind features and quickly growing user base position it as a potentially lucrative player in the social media ecosystem, which is continuously evolving and changing. This ecosystem is characterized by a dynamic relationship between users, content creators, and platform providers. The passage of time is the only factor that can determine whether or not Bluesky will be successful in challenging the hegemony of existing platforms and initiating a new era of decentralized social media. This is because time is the only factor that can determine whether or not Bluesky will be successful in challenging the hegemony of existing platforms.

First reported on CNBC

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

Politics

Fintech Kennek raises $12.5M seed round to digitize lending

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Google eyed for $2 billion Anthropic deal after major Amazon play


London-based fintech startup Kennek has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to expand its lending operating system.

According to an Oct. 10 tech.eu report, the round was led by HV Capital and included participation from Dutch Founders Fund, AlbionVC, FFVC, Plug & Play Ventures, and Syndicate One. Kennek offers software-as-a-service tools to help non-bank lenders streamline their operations using open banking, open finance, and payments.

The platform aims to automate time-consuming manual tasks and consolidate fragmented data to simplify lending. Xavier De Pauw, founder of Kennek said:

“Until kennek, lenders had to devote countless hours to menial operational tasks and deal with jumbled and hard-coded data – which makes every other part of lending a headache. As former lenders ourselves, we lived and breathed these frustrations, and built kennek to make them a thing of the past.”

The company said the latest funding round was oversubscribed and closed quickly despite the challenging fundraising environment. The new capital will be used to expand Kennek’s engineering team and strengthen its market position in the UK while exploring expansion into other European markets. Barbod Namini, Partner at lead investor HV Capital, commented on the investment:

“Kennek has developed an ambitious and genuinely unique proposition which we think can be the foundation of the entire alternative lending space. […] It is a complicated market and a solution that brings together all information and stakeholders onto a single platform is highly compelling for both lenders & the ecosystem as a whole.”

The fintech lending space has grown rapidly in recent years, but many lenders still rely on legacy systems and manual processes that limit efficiency and scalability. Kennek aims to leverage open banking and data integration to provide lenders with a more streamlined, automated lending experience.

The seed funding will allow the London-based startup to continue developing its platform and expanding its team to meet demand from non-bank lenders looking to digitize operations. Kennek’s focus on the UK and Europe also comes amid rising adoption of open banking and open finance in the regions.

Featured Image Credit: Photo from Kennek.io; Thank you!

Radek Zielinski

Radek Zielinski is an experienced technology and financial journalist with a passion for cybersecurity and futurology.

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Politics

Fortune 500’s race for generative AI breakthroughs

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Deanna Ritchie


As excitement around generative AI grows, Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, are carefully examining the possible applications of this technology. A recent survey of U.S. executives indicated that 60% believe generative AI will substantially impact their businesses in the long term. However, they anticipate a one to two-year timeframe before implementing their initial solutions. This optimism stems from the potential of generative AI to revolutionize various aspects of businesses, from enhancing customer experiences to optimizing internal processes. In the short term, companies will likely focus on pilot projects and experimentation, gradually integrating generative AI into their operations as they witness its positive influence on efficiency and profitability.

Goldman Sachs’ Cautious Approach to Implementing Generative AI

In a recent interview, Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti revealed that the firm has not yet implemented any generative AI use cases. Instead, the company focuses on experimentation and setting high standards before adopting the technology. Argenti recognized the desire for outcomes in areas like developer and operational efficiency but emphasized ensuring precision before putting experimental AI use cases into production.

According to Argenti, striking the right balance between driving innovation and maintaining accuracy is crucial for successfully integrating generative AI within the firm. Goldman Sachs intends to continue exploring this emerging technology’s potential benefits and applications while diligently assessing risks to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.

One possible application for Goldman Sachs is in software development, where the company has observed a 20-40% productivity increase during its trials. The goal is for 1,000 developers to utilize generative AI tools by year’s end. However, Argenti emphasized that a well-defined expectation of return on investment is necessary before fully integrating generative AI into production.

To achieve this, the company plans to implement a systematic and strategic approach to adopting generative AI, ensuring that it complements and enhances the skills of its developers. Additionally, Goldman Sachs intends to evaluate the long-term impact of generative AI on their software development processes and the overall quality of the applications being developed.

Goldman Sachs’ approach to AI implementation goes beyond merely executing models. The firm has created a platform encompassing technical, legal, and compliance assessments to filter out improper content and keep track of all interactions. This comprehensive system ensures seamless integration of artificial intelligence in operations while adhering to regulatory standards and maintaining client confidentiality. Moreover, the platform continuously improves and adapts its algorithms, allowing Goldman Sachs to stay at the forefront of technology and offer its clients the most efficient and secure services.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Google DeepMind; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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Politics

UK seizes web3 opportunity simplifying crypto regulations

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Deanna Ritchie


As Web3 companies increasingly consider leaving the United States due to regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom must simplify its cryptocurrency regulations to attract these businesses. The conservative think tank Policy Exchange recently released a report detailing ten suggestions for improving Web3 regulation in the country. Among the recommendations are reducing liability for token holders in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and encouraging the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to adopt alternative Know Your Customer (KYC) methodologies, such as digital identities and blockchain analytics tools. These suggestions aim to position the UK as a hub for Web3 innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses looking for a more conducive regulatory environment.

Streamlining Cryptocurrency Regulations for Innovation

To make it easier for emerging Web3 companies to navigate existing legal frameworks and contribute to the UK’s digital economy growth, the government must streamline cryptocurrency regulations and adopt forward-looking approaches. By making the regulatory landscape clear and straightforward, the UK can create an environment that fosters innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the global fintech industry.

The Policy Exchange report also recommends not weakening self-hosted wallets or treating proof-of-stake (PoS) services as financial services. This approach aims to protect the fundamental principles of decentralization and user autonomy while strongly emphasizing security and regulatory compliance. By doing so, the UK can nurture an environment that encourages innovation and the continued growth of blockchain technology.

Despite recent strict measures by UK authorities, such as His Majesty’s Treasury and the FCA, toward the digital assets sector, the proposed changes in the Policy Exchange report strive to make the UK a more attractive location for Web3 enterprises. By adopting these suggestions, the UK can demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency industries while ensuring a robust and transparent regulatory environment.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in various countries has prompted Web3 companies to explore alternative jurisdictions with more precise legal frameworks. As the United States grapples with regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom can position itself as a hub for Web3 innovation by simplifying and streamlining its cryptocurrency regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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