Elon Musk’s X recently outlined its ambitious 2024 vision, including plans for peer-to-peer payments and enhanced AI tools. However, amidst these advancements, the company quietly removed a feature for its paid subscribers: the ability to set an NFT (non-fungible token) as a profile picture.
Originally introduced in January 2022 under Twitter’s previous management, the feature allowed Twitter Blue subscribers to showcase NFTs minted on Ethereum as hexagon-shaped profile pictures. Clicking on the profile picture provided details about the NFT, including collection information, contract address, TokenID, and the minting app. X has now removed all references to this NFT profile picture feature from its Premium support page.
Previously, the Premium subscription allowed users to connect their crypto wallet temporarily, enabling them to display an NFT as a profile picture in a distinctive hexagon shape. While individuals who had set NFTs as profile pictures still retain their hexagonal avatars, it remains uncertain if X will eventually remove those as well.
The removal of this feature aligns with a trend seen on other social networks, such as Instagram and Facebook, which experimented with NFTs in 2022. However, Meta discontinued NFT support in March 2023. Despite the fluctuating value of high-priced tokens like the Bored Ape Yacht Club, the NFT market has exhibited signs of recovery, with trade volumes surpassing $1.6 billion in recent months, according to NFT aggregator CryptoSlam.
