Why is the Bluesky agent stored in state instead of a ref?

[VariabileAleatoria]

Hey everyone!

Apologies if this isn’t the right place to ask—just a curious developer here.

I’m building an app where a TypeScript class handles API calls and is passed down to components via the Context API, similar to how Bluesky does it. I noticed that Bluesky stores its agent in a state variable (via useReducer) rather than using a ref. Since the agent shouldn’t trigger re-renders, wouldn’t a ref be a better fit?

Is there a specific reason for this approach, or am I overthinking it? Would love to hear your insights!

Thanks!