By Michael Ainomugisha
X, formerly known as Twitter, has introduced a new feature called X Handle Marketplace, allowing users to buy inactive or dormant usernames. The feature, rolled out on October 20, 2025, is available to Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers.
The X Handle Marketplace gives paying users a chance to claim desirable usernames that are no longer in use, a move that separates X from Meta’s Facebook.
While both X and Facebook run digital marketplaces, their focus is entirely different. Facebook Marketplace is a vast, user-driven space for trading tangible goods like electronics, clothing, or furniture. In contrast, X’s marketplace deals in a single digital asset: usernames. These usernames, often seen as personal brands or online identities, are managed and distributed directly by X.
James Emiriat, a law scholar and social media user, described the product as a luxury feature.
“The handle marketplace on X is a luxury service designed for serious users and businesses, with some rare handles selling for prices starting at $2,500 and reaching into seven figures,” he said.
X Corp, a parent company of the X platform, categorises handles into “priority” and “rare”. Priority handles are free for Premium+ and Premium Business users and often include full names or word combinations like @GabrielJones or @PizzaEater. Once approved, a user can keep the handle as long as their subscription remains active.
Rare handles, such as @Harry or @Legend, are harder to obtain. They are either released through public drops based on merit or offered through direct purchases by invitation. The pricing depends on factors such as popularity, word length, and cultural relevance.
X’s marketplace represents a new direction of the platform’s monetisation strategy under its rebranding. It turns something once free, a username, into a tradable digital commodity. This approach may appeal to users who view handles as valuable identity assets in the social media space.
“Limiting access to Premium and Premium+ users adds value to paying subscribers, but it also raises questions about fairness and inclusivity,” Emiriat added.
X said the move is meant to give active users access to previously locked or abandoned handles, creating more flexibility for personal branding and business identity on the platform.
“High costs and exclusivity may deepen social and economic divides on X, creating a perception that only affluent users can secure premium digital identities,” he said.
