X Overhauls Creator Revenue Sharing: Cracking Down on US/Japan Traffic Farming, Boosting Local Content

Local impression weights to increase starting Thursday — global creator monetization strategies face major reset

X is set to overhaul its creator revenue-sharing mechanism in a sweeping policy update aimed at curbing "traffic farming" — the practice of deliberately targeting high-value markets like the United States and Japan to maximize ad payouts — while fostering a more localized, creator-native content ecosystem across the platform.

X Head of Product Nikita Bier Announces Incentive Overhaul

Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X, announced today via the platform's official account that the creator revenue-sharing incentive structure will be updated effective this Thursday (local time).

"We're updating the revenue share incentives to better reward the content we want to see on X," Bier stated, specifying that the platform will increase the weighting of impressions generated within a creator's home region. Under the revised framework, creators who resonate with audiences in their own country, neighboring nations, or same-language communities will earn proportionally higher revenue — directly rewarding locally relevant content creation.

US and Japan "Traffic Farming" Practices Drove the Policy Change

The reform comes in direct response to a widespread pattern in which creators have engineered content specifically to attract engagement from U.S. and Japanese users — the two markets commanding the highest advertising CPMs on the platform.

X's revenue-sharing program distributes ad revenue to creators based on impressions and subscriber base. This structure has historically incentivized content skewed toward U.S. and Japanese audiences, as engagement from those markets yields significantly higher payouts. The program has reportedly reached record-high payout levels since its launch, drawing intense competition among creators to capture high-CPM market attention.

"Opinions on U.S. politics matter, but we want to reduce traffic farming for U.S. or Japanese accounts and encourage more diverse conversations across the platform," Bier said, outlining the rationale behind the change.

Local Weighting Boost and Audience-Building Push — A Strategic Inflection Point for Global Creators

The update places creators at a strategic crossroads. Where English-language content and U.S.- or Japan-centric topics once offered a clear monetization edge, the new framework rewards creators who build deep engagement within their home markets using their native language and locally relevant subject matter.

"I encourage creators to start building a local audience," Bier emphasized. "X will be a richer community when people around the world are seeing more relevant content." Notably, some creators have already reported more than doubling their revenue following the change, signaling that early adopters of the local-first strategy stand to gain significantly.

For crypto and investment content creators — a segment with highly concentrated, market-specific audiences — this shift carries particular relevance. Accounts focused on domestic crypto markets, local regulatory developments, and region-specific investment themes are well-positioned to see meaningful improvements in their revenue structure under the new model. Creators serving niche but highly engaged local investor communities may find this update to be a net positive for long-term monetization.

Joohoon Choi joohoon@blockstreet.co.kr