X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures

X has shared details and opened a waitlist for its long-rumored Handle Marketplace, a program to redistribute inactive usernames. The initiative formalizes a gray market that has existed for years and splits handles into two tracks with different rules.

• Priority handles: Full names or multi-word phrases (e.g., @GabrielJones, @PizzaEater) tied to Premium+ and Premium Business plans. X says these can be revoked if your subscription lapses, effectively requiring an ongoing sub.
• Rare handles: Short, generic, or culturally significant names (e.g., @one, @fly, @compute). X plans to award some via merit-based public drops and sell others via invite-only, fixed-price listings.
• Pricing: X’s FAQ indicates rare handles may range from roughly $2,500 to seven figures, depending on demand, character length, popularity, and cultural significance.
• Requirements: Premium+ or Premium Business is required to initiate a rare handle transfer, but ongoing subscription isn’t required to keep a purchased rare handle. By contrast, priority handles may be reclaimed if you stop paying.
• Reclamation policy: X reserves the right to reclaim inactive handles. Its current policy has historically defined inactivity as 30+ days without login (policy).

Supporters say formalizing transfers could put dormant names back into circulation and curb off-platform trading. Critics point to fairness and repossession risks, especially given past high-profile reassignments (e.g., @X, @music, @America) and the possibility of handles being pulled if an account goes inactive.

Getting started: Follow the official @XHandles account for waitlist and drop details. If you’re considering a claim or purchase, review the fine print closely—revocation rules, inactivity definitions, and any handle transfer agreements.

Why it matters: Turning coveted usernames into formal digital assets could reshape identity on X—benefiting active creators and brands, but also raising questions about platform power, user rights, and who gets access to the most valuable names.

References: Background reporting on pricing and process: Engadget

Discussion: Should platforms sell coveted usernames, or release inactive handles via open lotteries with strict anti-squatting rules?