Elon Musk’s social media platform X has launched a new marketplace designed to redistribute inactive or unused profile names, marking another step in the platform’s ongoing monetization drive.
The new feature is currently available only to Premium Business and Premium+ subscribers, giving paying users first access to desirable usernames that have long been inactive.
According to X, the marketplace features two main categories of handles — priority and rare.
Priority usernames, which often include full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations, can be requested free of charge by eligible subscribers. The platform promises to respond to such requests within three days. However, if a subscriber cancels or downgrades their plan, their handle automatically reverts to the original account name.
On the other hand, rare usernames — short, highly desirable handles like “@Tom” or “@Pizza” — are handled differently. These can either be purchased by invitation from X or obtained through a public application process. Once bought, these usernames remain permanently tied to the user, even if their premium subscription ends.
The introduction of this marketplace aligns with Musk’s previous announcements about freeing up usernames tied to inactive accounts. Nearly three years after Musk’s $44 billion acquisition and subsequent rebranding of Twitter to X, the company continues to experiment with new revenue models and community-driven tools.
