X Opens Username Marketplace to Premium+ Users: Rare Handles Cost Millions?

X has opened its username marketplace to Premium+ subscribers, allowing users to attempt to claim inactive handles for a price, with fees listed at $40 per month or $395 per year. The platform divides usernames into Priority and Rare categories, with Priority intended for handles closer to real names, yet even simple examples like @kbell or @karissa being flagged as Rare and not claimable directly.

Rare handles are described as the platform’s most valuable assets, potentially involving public drops, merit-based free applications, or invitation-only purchases, with prices reportedly ranging from $2,500 to well into the seven-figure millions. The process remains opaque and imposes several conditions, including a single lifetime Priority username request per account and ongoing activity requirements after acquisition.

According to X, the platform also states that X owns all usernames and may revoke them at any time, and there are historical precedents of handles being reclaimed. 23 November 2025.