Up to 1 million per nickname? X triggers handle speculation

On X, a simple pseudonym can now be negotiated at a high price. Elon Musk's platform has just launched a marketplace dedicated to the sale of inactive usernames, with prices reaching a million dollars for the most sought-after. Reserved for Premium subscribers, this initiative transforms digital identity into a monetizable asset.

An official marketplace for inactive pseudonyms

X has officially launched its Handle Marketplace, a platform accessible only to Premium Plus and Business subscribers, while Elon Musk has just published Grokipedia. It allows you to claim or purchase inactive pseudonyms according to two very distinct statuses.

This system marks a break with the past where bots raided handles as soon as they were released. From now on, everything is under the control of X, with a clear hierarchy of access.

Here is how the system is structured:

• Priority Handles: These include classic, alphanumeric or multi-word names like @JohnSmith or @Lisa35. They are free on demand, but only for Premium subscribers. The handle is revoked after 30 days if the subscription is canceled. It is therefore a rental model, not ownership.

• Rare Handles: Very short or generic handles (e.g. @Pizza, @Tom, @One), they are considered culturally significant. They are priced between $2,500 and over $1 million, depending on demand estimated by X. These handles are definitely purchased. They remain associated with the account even after termination of the subscription. X specifies: “Usernames acquired via the marketplace cannot be transferred. », prohibiting any resale or transfer.

By imposing closed access, opaque pricing and a formal ban on external resale, X intends to eliminate unofficial circuits for the sale of pseudonyms and regain total control over the distribution of these rare digital resources. The pseudonym thus becomes a controlled, but non-transferable asset, in a framework entirely managed by the platform itself.

A new market for digital identity on X?

Beyond the commercial structuring, this new functionality responds to a logic of profitability, in a context where X's advertising revenues have significantly eroded since the acquisition by Elon Musk.

Indeed, the company would seek to convert the scarcity of inactive identifiers into financial leverage, particularly with brands, influencers or collectors. The approach is not new. As early as 2023, Musk mentioned the release of 1.5 billion inactive pseudonyms, and as early as November of the same year, certain handles were offered at $50,000. In April 2025, researchers even reported that verified organizations could submit offers starting at $10,000 to obtain a coveted handle.

However, this commercial logic is already triggering strong criticism. Several high-profile cases raise the question of arbitrariness in the redistribution of these identifiers. In 2023, the pseudonym @x was withdrawn without compensation from photographer Gene X Hwang, simply notified that the company claimed possession of it.

Likewise, the handle @Cameron, initially held for more than a decade by a user active in the crypto sphere, was assigned without notice to Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini. “I have literally done nothing wrong on this platform, and it is always the little one who is toast,” declared the dispossessed user. These decisions, taken without a clear contestation procedure, call into question respect for the rights of historical users.

Such an initiative could foreshadow a new form of digital hierarchy, where the value of a pseudonym depends on its visibility, simplicity or branding potential. The platform retains full decision-making power, with no transparency on account deactivation criteria or pricing mechanisms.

If this system appeals to certain investors or brands seeking visibility, it reinforces a logic of centralization and questions the sustainability of digital property in an environment controlled by a single entity. For observers of the web3 ecosystem, pseudonym may be the next NFT, but without the blockchain to guarantee ownership.