X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures
X has detailed its long-rumored Handle Marketplace and opened a waitlist to redistribute inactive usernames. The initiative formalizes a process that previously thrived in gray markets, potentially turning high-value handles into tradable digital assets.
- Two categories: Priority handles (e.g., full names or phrases like @GabrielJones or @PizzaEater) are available to Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers and can be revoked if the subscription lapses. Rare handles (short, generic, or culturally significant names like @one, @fly, @compute) will be offered via merit-based public drops or invite-only fixed-price sales.
- Pricing: X says rare handles may range from roughly $2,500 to seven figures, depending on demand, character length, and cultural significance.
- Requirements: Premium+ or Premium Business is needed to initiate a rare handle transfer, but ongoing subscription is not required to keep a purchased rare handle.
- Inactivity & reclamation: X reserves the right to reclaim inactive handles. Its current policy has historically defined inactivity as 30+ days without login.
Supporters argue that the marketplace could put dormant names back into circulation and reduce off-platform trading. Critics worry about fairness, repossession risk, and concentration of desirable identities among those with budgets or high platform standing—especially given past high-profile reassignments (e.g., @X, @music, @America).
How to follow and apply: Watch the official updates from @XHandles for waitlist and drop details. If you’re considering a claim or purchase, review the relevant policies closely—especially revocation rules, inactivity definitions, and any handle transfer agreements.
References:
- X Handle Marketplace updates (@XHandles)
- Inactive account policy (Help Center)
- Background report on pricing and process (Engadget)
Why it matters: By standardizing handle transfers, X could reshape online identity on the platform—creating clearer (if controversial) rules for acquiring coveted usernames while raising new questions about user rights and platform power.
Discussion: Should platforms sell rare usernames to the highest bidder, or release them through open lotteries with strict anti-squatting rules?