Social media site X, formerly Twitter, plans to sell unused user handles to generate new income.

The company has created a marketplace called @Handle, where account names can be bought for $50,000.

This move was suggested by owner Elon Musk to free up handles occupied by bots and trolls.

Despite return of 90% of top advertisers, the company's advertising revenue has declined since Musk's takeover.

X has introduced paid premium services and updated subscription tiers to counter this.

Recent stock grants imply a current valuation of around $19 billion, less than half of Musk's purchase price.

Selling usernames has historically been against the platform's terms, but a black market for handles already exists.