Bluesky just dropped a new feature that changes how trust works on the platform.
If you've been around since the early days, you’ll remember their first crack at verification: letting people set their website domain as their username. Simple idea, solid execution. Over 270,000 accounts did it. But for a lot of folks, it wasn’t enough.
Now they’ve added something more familiar — a classic blue check next to usernames.
So, What’s New?
Here’s the basic breakdown:
- Standard blue checks are now given to notable or authentic accounts directly by Bluesky.
- Scalloped blue checks are issued by trusted organizations inside the app.
That second bit is important. Instead of Bluesky trying to vet the whole platform on their own, they’re letting certain orgs — like The New York Times — verify people directly. Bluesky still reviews these, but the process is distributed.
You can even tap on someone’s checkmark to see who verified them. That small detail adds a lot of clarity.
Why It Matters
This is more than just a badge system.
It’s a new approach to trust — one that combines old-school visual signals (blue checks) with newer, community-driven layers (trusted verifiers). It gives context without needing to centralize everything.
You can also turn verification display off completely in your settings if you’d rather keep things low-key.
Can You Get Verified?
Not right now — at least, not through an application. You can still self-verify by setting your domain as your username.
Eventually, Bluesky says they'll open up a form to let notable accounts apply for blue checks or become trusted verifiers themselves.
It’s not just another checkmark. It’s a small step toward a version of social media that puts more control — and trust — in the hands of the people using it.
We’ll see where it goes.
