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Social media platform X has launched a Handle Marketplace, giving users the chance to bid on inactive usernames. The feature, now in beta, could reshape how online identity and branding are valued. Paying subscribers can browse inactive accounts, join drop events, or request names through Premium plans. X describes the system as a way to “redistribute handles that are no longer in use.”
Rare usernames, according to TechCrunch, could fetch anywhere between $2,500 and $1 million, depending on their appeal and brevity. Premium+ users can file free priority requests, while others may buy “rare” handles directly. Only Premium Plus or Premium Business subscribers are eligible. Those who downgrade lose their purchased name, reverting to their old handle automatically.
The rollout fits X’s broader strategy of blending exclusivity with monetization. It also signals Elon Musk’s ongoing push to make X the “everything app,” where identity, communication, and commerce coexist.
The new marketplace transforms usernames into a form of digital property. It adds a fresh incentive for higher-tier subscribers and gives influencers another reason to stay active. As of early 2025, X has around 557 million active users, though the number of dormant accounts remains undisclosed.
Usernames, once just identifiers, are becoming investment-grade assets. A status of visibility and status can be carried by a short, recognizable handle for marketers or creators alike. The company is testing a feature that redirects followers from an old username to a new one, a helpful tool for brands that rebrand or change direction.
It is fitting this includes the value of domains for websites during the early internet. The shorter and cleaner an address is, the more value is perceived. That brings us to the question of whether a username could, one day, share similar status as a domain?
While X’s system is centralized, its concept mirrors blockchain-based naming tools such as Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and Unstoppable Domains. These Web3 projects let users secure simple wallet-linked identities they fully control. X’s approach, though corporate, reflects the same idea, digital names as owned assets.
Still, there are some potential problems with the change. X has yet to clarify what “inactive” means. Legal experts caution in their evaluation of how ownership, impersonation and trademarks would be at issue. It could lead to disagreements without visibility, when an account is sold, the brand and the purchaser could end up in a disagreement as to who has the right to a name, for instance.
Analysts also caution that disparate enforcement could lead to claims of favoritism or misuse of dormant accounts, because no two cases are likely to be the same. The platform’s silence on criteria could also complicate its compliance with older policies that barred selling inactive usernames.
Developers and brand protection firms are already exploring tools to track high-value usernames. New software could soon alert users when specific handles drop or monitor price trends across the marketplace.
Such services may resemble domain registries, helping companies secure their names early and monitor brand risks. Entrepreneurs could build APIs or tracking bots, assuming X permits integrations.
The creation of this handle economy introduces a new kind of digital trade. As identity becomes a commodity, the price of a single username might soon rival that of a brand.
X’s new Handles Marketplace marks a major shift in how online identity is valued. By allowing Premium Plus users to buy inactive usernames, X blends exclusivity, branding, and monetization, positioning itself at the center of the digital identity economy.
Also Read: How to Build an Effective Twitter Marketing Plan?
