Elon Musk’s X Launches Handle Marketplace for Premium Users, Offering Rare and Inactive Usernames

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has unveiled a new initiative called the X Handle Marketplace, allowing Premium Plus and Premium Business subscribers to claim inactive usernames. The marketplace provides users with both free and paid options to acquire handles that are no longer in use, aiming to redistribute high-demand usernames while adding a new revenue stream for the platform.

According to X’s official announcement, eligible subscribers can search for available handles and request either Priority or Rare usernames. Priority handles—often full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations—can be claimed free of charge. However, if a subscriber cancels or downgrades their plan, the handle will revert to its original account after a 30-day grace period.

Rare handles, such as short, generic, or culturally significant names like @Tom or @Pizza, are available through public drops or direct purchases. Public drops evaluate applicants based on prior contributions, intended use, and platform engagement, while direct purchases can range from $2,500 to over seven figures. Once acquired, Rare handles remain with the user regardless of subscription status, making them highly sought-after digital assets.

The X Handle Marketplace is part of Elon Musk’s broader strategy to transform X into a super app, similar to China’s WeChat. Earlier this year, X introduced XChat, a messaging feature with end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, file sharing, and audio/video calls. The platform also plans to integrate peer-to-peer payments, commerce, and entertainment, moving beyond its origins as a public forum to become an everyday digital hub.

Since July 2023, X’s ad revenue sharing program has distributed over $45 million to 150,000 content creators, offering a monthly average of $6.4 million. Licensed for payment processing in 14 U.S. states, the platform has grown to 600 million monthly active users as of October 2024. With the launch of the X Handle Marketplace, Musk continues to incentivize paid subscriptions while giving users a chance to secure unique digital identities on the platform.

souce: nairametrics