Bluesky rolls out cashtags and LIVE badges amid a boost in app installs

Bluesky, the emerging social network, is set to enhance its platform with exciting new features that cater to live streamers and stock market enthusiasts. The app will now allow users to indicate when they are live-streaming on Twitch, alongside the introduction of cashtags—specialized hashtags designed for discussions surrounding publicly traded stocks. This update comes at a strategic time as Bluesky experiences a notable increase in app installations. Following a wave of controversy surrounding deepfake technology on rival platform X, which led to concerns over non-consensual content, Bluesky has seen its downloads surge in the United States. According to recent data from Appfigures, the app’s daily downloads jumped nearly 50% in the wake of these events. Typically, Bluesky averages about 4,000 installs per day in the U.S., but from December 30, 2025, to January 6, 2026, it reached approximately 19,500 downloads. The surge continued into the following week, where downloads climbed to 29,000, marking a significant 49% increase. The introduction of cashtags, which users can create by placing a dollar symbol before a stock ticker (for instance, $AAPL for Apple), aims to position Bluesky more competitively with platforms like X, which has successfully integrated similar features. The concept of cashtags originated from Stocktwits, a social network focused on stocks, before being adopted by Twitter in 2012. Additionally, Bluesky is expanding its “Live Now” feature, allowing users to display a temporary “LIVE” badge on their avatars, signifying their active stream status. While currently limited to Twitch, this feature does not enable direct live streaming within Bluesky itself. This uptick in user engagement comes after a challenging year for Bluesky, as the platform had struggled with declining downloads and user activity. Data from April 2025 indicated that the app's downloads had hit new lows, with a nearly 40% decrease in daily active users on mobile devices by the end of October. Despite gaining traction from influencers, many still favor posting on X, highlighting the challenges Bluesky faces in shifting user habits and building a loyal audience. As Bluesky rolls out these new functionalities, it will be essential for the platform to not only attract users but also encourage them to adapt to new behaviors in their social networking experience.