Bluesky Revives the Blue Checkmark with a Trusted Twist

Bluesky, the decentralized social platform championed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, is rolling out a verification system that will look familiar to veteran Twitter users. Notable accounts on Bluesky can now receive a blue checkmark beside their name as a clear nod to the badge of authenticity popularized by early Twitter.

Unlike Twitter’s classic check, Bluesky’s version is stylized to match its branding: the checkmark appears inside a blue circle icon (rather than Twitter’s plain check). The intent is the same as in Twitter’s heyday – to visually signal an account’s authenticity – but with Bluesky’s own design flair and a modern, decentralized approach to administering those badges.

This move comes as Bluesky grapples with growth and the accompanying risk of impersonation. In late 2024, Bluesky’s user base surged dramatically – adding some 20 million users in just four months and bringing the total to about 35 million by early 2025. That explosive growth, sparked in part by disenchanted Twitter users flocking to the new network, also led to a rise in fake accounts and identity confusion.

The platform had long resisted using a checkmark system (preferring a domain-based verification method), but the need for a user-friendly trust signal became hard to ignore. With growth now leveling off in 2025, Bluesky is seizing the moment to introduce its own blue checks – hoping to boost trust and transparency in its community before the next big influx of users.

Bluesky’s verification system adds a novel twist: verification isn’t solely controlled by Bluesky’s staff. Instead, Bluesky is designating select independent organizations as “Trusted Verifiers” with the authority to verify users in their orbit. In practice, this means an outlet like The New York Times can be approved as a verifier and then issue blue checkmarks to its reporters on Bluesky, or a university could verify its faculty, and so on. These Trusted Verifier accounts carry a special badge themselves – a blue check in a scalloped circle – distinguishing them from normal verified users (who get a check in a standard rounded circle).The dual badge design immediately tells users whether an account is verified directly by Bluesky or by an approved organization in the network.

From Bluesky’s perspective, this distributed verification model takes advantage of existing trust networks. “Trusted Verifiers are in keeping with our ethos — that Bluesky shouldn’t be the sole verifier, and that there should be systems that exist outside of us as part of a robust civic infrastructure,” explained Bluesky developer Paul Frazee. In other words, trust on Bluesky is meant to flow bottom-up as well as top-down. By empowering reputable organizations to vouch for users, Bluesky taps into community credibility rather than acting as the single gatekeeper for who is “notable.” It’s a crowd-sourced approach to authenticity: if you trust The New York Times in the real world, you can trust that a Bluesky account it verified is the real deal.

How the Verification Badge Works

The new blue checkmarks on Bluesky function as a transparent credential. Tapping on a user’s checkmark reveals details about the verification – specifically which organization (or Bluesky itself) verified that account. This added layer of transparency means any user can audit the source of a verification in-app. For example, if you see a blue check on a journalist’s profile, tapping it might show “Verified by The New York Times,” whereas a check on a popular creator might say “Verified by Bluesky.” This feature aims to eliminate confusion by making the provenance of every badge explicit.

Bluesky’s moderation team oversees the entire verification process to maintain integrity. Even when a Trusted Verifier organization grants someone a badge, Bluesky’s team reviews that verification on the back end to ensure it meets the platform’s authenticity standards. In essence, Bluesky is combining automation with a human backstop: organizations can do the legwork of identifying and approving their real members, but Bluesky still double-checks (no pun intended) that each verified account truly is who it claims to be. This oversight is critical, given that Bluesky wants to avoid the very problems it saw on Twitter/X when verification lapses led to rampant impersonation. “Trust is everything,” Bluesky noted in its announcement, underscoring that social networks haven’t always provided the tools for users to know who’s real – a gap this system is designed to fill.

Another user-centric touch is the ability to opt out of displaying verification. Bluesky recognizes that not everyone wants a badge by their name – some users find the checkmark culture elitist or worry it could make them a target. To address this, Bluesky built an option to hide the blue check on one’s own profile if desired (while still remaining verified behind the scenes). This way, users can choose whether to broadcast their verified status or keep a lower profile. It’s an interesting nod to community feedback, reflecting Bluesky’s attempt to balance status signals with user comfort on a platform that values a more egalitarian vibe.

Stringent Criteria

Bluesky is deliberately pumping the brakes on any mass verification land rush. At launch, there is no open application process for the average user to get a blue checkmark. Instead, verifications are being proactively granted by Bluesky to a curated list of “authentic and notable” accounts – think prominent figures, well-known organizations, and influencers in the community. Likewise, only a handful of organizations have initially been approved as Trusted Verifiers (early partners reportedly included The New York Times, Wired, and The Athletic during testing). This controlled rollout allows Bluesky’s team to monitor how the system works in practice and iron out any kinks on a small scale before scaling up.

This cautious approach reflects Bluesky’s awareness of the stakes. Verification can be a double-edged sword for social platforms: done right, it bolsters trust and safety; done poorly, it can sow confusion or resentment. By starting small, Bluesky is effectively beta-testing its verification in the wild. The platform is new and still growing, so a slow roll-out ensures it doesn’t outpace Bluesky’s capacity to manage it. The current user base (~35 million) is tiny compared to Twitter’s hundreds of millions, which makes a manual, tightly controlled verification process feasible (for now). Bluesky appears intent on avoiding the pitfalls its competitors faced by not rushing the feature out broadly without safeguards.

However, Bluesky has officially opened applications for account verification and Trusted Verifier status, marking a significant expansion of its verification system. Previously, verification was limited to proactive approvals by Bluesky and select organizations. Now, "notable and authentic" users can apply directly through an online form .

The application process requires applicants to demonstrate their notability within their field or region, supported by evidence such as professional recognition, media coverage, or presence on credible platforms. Accounts must be active, complete, and secure, representing real individuals or legitimate entities.

Our Take

Bluesky’s experiment with verification comes at a time when trust in social media is both paramount and perilous. By reviving the blue checkmark with community-driven guardrails, Bluesky is sending a message: authenticity online can be a collective effort, not just a top-down decree or a pay-to-play perk. The approach is professionally intriguing – especially for journalists, marketers, and digital communities – because it suggests a possible path to restoring credibility on social platforms without replicating the missteps of predecessors. Bluesky’s gradual roll-out and heavy emphasis on oversight show that it is proceeding with caution, fully aware that a mismanaged verification system can do more harm than good.

Will Bluesky’s trusted verifier model become a blueprint for the next generation of social networks, or will it struggle under pressure as the platform scales? It’s too early to say. For now, Bluesky has the advantage of relative intimacy – a 35 million user community where the verification team can still personally vet accounts and nurture a culture of trust. Its larger rivals, Twitter/X and Threads, have chosen scalability (and profitability) over curation, each with its own compromises. In positioning itself as the authenticity-focused alternative, Bluesky is carving out a niche that could attract quality-conscious users and organizations. If it succeeds, the payoff could be significant: a social network where the blue check means something again, and where users can genuinely know who they’re interacting with – a goal that social media veterans know is easier said than done.

Bluesky is effectively running a high-stakes social experiment in trust: if it can balance decentralized verification with centralized quality control, it may chart a new course for how online communities self-regulate authenticity. And in a social media landscape rife with impersonation and misinformation, that’s an evolution worth rooting for.