Social media platform X is rolling out a new hosting marketplace that allows users to bid on inactive usernames, a move that could once again reshape how digital identity and online branding are valued.
Currently in Beta, the market allows users to join a waiting list for upcoming drop events, request handlers through their premium subscriptions and browse eligible inactive accounts. The company described This as a “deprecated handle redistribution solution,” is only available to paying subscribers.
According to TechCrunchrare Handles can sell for anywhere from $2,500 to more than $1 million, depending on their popularity, length of character and cultural relevance. Premium+ subscribers can submit free requests for “priority” handles, while others can purchase “rare” handles directly.
The initiative comes as X continues to look for new revenue streams beyond advertising. It also taps into the growing market for Web3 assets, where digital identities, such as domain names or short usernames, are considered forms of online real estate with real market value.
By industry trackersX has an estimated 557 million active users as of early 2025, though the company did not disclose how many inactive accounts exist or how many handles may be available through the market.
However, the launch features a broader shift in how Social Media Identity has been monetized, with usernames themselves emerging as status symbols and potential investment properties.
Related: New Advanced X Account Takeover Attack Targets Crypto Community
X and the emergence of Web3 social identities
Amid the ongoing debate about digital identity, blockchain donation systems are emerging as a popular use case. Decentralized domain services like Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and Unrestricted domains Allow users to register human-readable names that link directly to their crypto wallets, replacing long and complex wallet addresses with simple identifiers.
These systems give users a stronger sense of ownership over their online identities, an idea that reflects the push for digital self-sovereignty across the Web3.
While the new X handle marketplace does not take a decentralized approach, it relies on similar themes of digital identity as an asset. The platform has long been a hub for the crypto and blockchain community, making X a natural intersection between traditional social media and emerging Web3 identity trends.
Count Cointelegraph recently reportedX also served as a platform for activist investors, including one who used the site to advocate for an overhaul of Polygon’s tokenomics, a proposal that ultimately received favorable feedback from the community.
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