New York: Over the last week, more than 700,000 people have started using Bluesky, a social media platform recognized as an alternative to the Elon Musk-owned platform X, pushing the young platform's total user numbers over 14.5 million, according to Bluesky COO Rose Wang. A significant portion of the new users are from the US, highlighting the platform's growing domestic appeal. According to Anadolu Agency, tech-focused website the Verge reported on Tuesday that Bluesky has become the second-most downloaded social media app in the US Appstore. This growing popularity comes despite the larger user base of Meta-owned competitor Threads. The recent US presidential election outcome, which saw President-elect Donald Trump securing victory, is speculated to have influenced this surge in new users, as Musk is known to be one of Trump's prominent supporters. The increase in Bluesky's user base could be attributed to individuals seeking alternatives to platforms owned by Musk, or looking for new forums due to a ris e in hate speech on X, as mentioned by the Verge. Additionally, a recent decline in sales of Musk's Tesla electric cars has been partially attributed to eco-conscious buyers distancing themselves from his right-wing views. Bluesky was initially created as a project within Twitter in 2019 and became an independent company in 2022. Currently led by Jay Graber, the platform also saw a growth of 3 million new users after X was suspended in Brazil in September.