• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

In another attempt to boost revenue, X will soon begin inviting Premium subscribers to request or purchase inactive usernames in a designated in-app marketplace, with some handles listed for as much as seven figures. 

“The X Handle Marketplace is our industry-first solution to redistribute handles that are no longer in use,” reads a post on the company’s new @XHandles account. “Eligible Premium subscribers will be able to search and make requests, with both complimentary and paid options available.”

Within the marketplace, X will offer both free handles and rare handles priced between $2,500 and seven figures, “depending on demand and uniqueness,” says a company spokesperson, adding that free handles “often include full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.”

Notably, free handles will be stripped from subscribers who cancel or downgrade their subscription tier.

More expensive handles are being characterized as shorter and culturally significant, such as “@Pizza,” “@Tom,” and “@One.”

To acquire one of these handles, Premium subscribers can watch out for public drops or invitation-only purchase options, highlighting an exclusivity factor involved in the marketplace feature. Some rare handles will also be available for direct purchase.

X will prioritize active users for public drops. For pre-priced direct purchases, buyers will be able to retain the handle regardless of whether they stop subscribing to Premium.

Following its recent decision to add more personal information in users’ profile bios, X explains on its help page that this handle marketplace is intended to prevent bot spam or misuse, as selling inactive handles will allow “for fair and secure distribution through a controlled process.”

The handle marketplace may also help X set up an alternative revenue stream, as its ad business continues to struggle since Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover.

The launch of the new marketplace will allow X to boost revenue through direct payments. It will also potentially increase interest in its Premium subscription offering, as it continues to deal with a struggling ads business.

If a user has a specific inactive handle in mind that isn’t on the marketplace, they can “Register” their interest to add the handle to their Watchlist. It it becomes available, X will notify them.