X is launching a marketplace for inactive handles

Terrence O’Brien

is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.

Premium Plus and Premium Business users will soon be able to browse and request inactive usernames on the X Handle Marketplace. Handles are going to be broken up into two broad categories. Priority handles will be free and “often include full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.” Rare handles, on the other hand, will be a paid option, and “may be priced anywhere from $2,500 to over seven figures, depending on demand and uniqueness.”

X is treating this not as a one-time perk, but as an ongoing service to lure in more paid subscribers. If you secure a new handle, your old one will be frozen. The company says it may eventually offer a redirect option as a paid add-on. But more importantly, if you ever downgrade your X subscription, your account will revert back to your original username, and you’ll lose access to the one you snagged through the marketplace.

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Terrence O’Brien