The direction of X is set to change, with plans to intertwine its social media capabilities with financial tools. Get insights into this transition.
Elon Musk, the brains behind Tesla and SpaceX, has a new vision: turning X (previously Twitter) into a one-stop financial hub.
After buying and renaming Twitter to X, Musk wants to evolve it from a social media platform to a full-fledged financial services giant. The idea is for users to handle their entire financial lives within X – from chatting with friends to buying stocks. Let’s dive deeper into Musk’s plan and what it could mean for the future.
Merging social and financial worlds: the X blueprint
With an ambitious roadmap set until 2024, Musk aims to pivot X from being a social media platform to an integrated financial hub, blending day-to-day social interactions with comprehensive financial tools.
On traditional platforms, you’d leave your social app, open a banking or payment app, send the money, maybe send a text or message to confirm, and then jump back to your original activity. Musk’s vision for X is to streamline this entire process: users could, in theory, send money within the same platform they’re using to chat or share updates.
But Musk’s ambitions don’t stop at simple transactions. He envisions a future where users don’t just send money but also manage broader financial tasks. Securities investment, a complex activity typically reserved for dedicated platforms, might find its place on X.
X’s new features might also include high-yield money market accounts and checking services without the burden of overdraft fees, addressing common user pain points with conventional banking.
In Musk’s words, from a company gathering, the aim is for anything involving money to be possible on X, potentially eliminating the need for multiple financial tools or even traditional bank accounts for users.
However, for X to legally provide these services, there’s a need to navigate the intricate regulatory landscape of financial services. The process of acquiring necessary licenses is underway, with the hope to fully operationalize the financial aspect of X by the target year 2024, as mentioned by X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino.
The potential shifts arising from X’s development could impact both the conventional financial world and the established digital payment ecosystem. Given Musk’s foundational connection to PayPal, this becomes an essential sector to monitor.
Public response to Musk’s “everything app” vision
In light of Musk’s ambitious plans, YouGov conducted a survey to gauge public sentiment, particularly focusing on the British demographic.
The results present a rather intriguing perspective on how the general populace perceives the merging of numerous services into one platform, especially under the helm of a figure like Musk.
From the outset, the survey indicates that the majority of Britons are not particularly inclined towards adopting an “everything app,” especially one created by Musk.
A striking 48% expressed they were “not at all interested,” and another 24% mentioned they were “not very interested.” Combined, this indicates that 72% of the surveyed group possesses a clear reluctance or indifference towards such an integrated platform if steered by Musk.
However, it’s not all negative. There remains a subset, albeit smaller, who appear open to the idea. Around 17% of respondents – 4% “very interested” and 13% “fairly interested” – expressed some degree of enthusiasm about using an “everything app” from Musk.
The “don’t know” category, accounting for 13%, further underscores the uncertainty surrounding this ambitious project.
To put this in context, “everything apps” or “super apps” like WeChat and Grab have enjoyed significant success in regions like China and Southeast Asia. However, the YouGov survey suggests that cultural and regional differences, combined with the polarizing influence of Musk, could play a pivotal role in determining the acceptance and success of such a platform in Western demographics, especially the UK.
Musk’s X and the future of crypto
Elon Musk’s big idea for X, if implemented, could greatly change the world of digital money. Here’s what could happen.
X as a crypto-friendly app: Elon Musk has shown a lot of interest in digital money before. He has supported cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE). This makes many believe that he might bring them into X.
If X turns into this “everything app” for money matters, it’s very likely that it will let people use, save, or even invest in cryptocurrencies. This would mean that a lot more people would start using digital money in their daily lives.
Signs that X is moving towards crypto: X is making moves that suggest a crypto-friendly future. For example, they’ve received a license in Rhode Island that will allow users to make payments with digital money. This is a big hint that cryptocurrencies might soon play a big role on X.
However, while this all sounds exciting, there are challenges. Governments around the world have rules about using digital money. X would have to follow all these rules, which might be complicated.
To sum it up, if Musk manages to achieve his vision for X, we could be looking at a future where using digital money becomes as easy and common as sending a text. However, with plans as ambitious as these, caution is the key.
