Solana Payments on X? Musk Hires Nikita Bier as Head of Product

Nikita Bier, a noted tech entrepreneur and advisor to Solana Labs, has officially joined Elon Musk’s X as Head of Product. The announcement, made by Bier on X (formerly Twitter), is already reigniting speculation around the platform’s long-discussed pivot to crypto payments, including possible Dogecoin integration.

Bier, known for building hit social apps like TBH and Gas, which were later bought by Facebook and Discord, has a solid track record in product development and a growing presence in the crypto world. Back in March, he came on board as an advisor to Solana Labs to help boost the network’s mobile app ecosystem.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve officially posted my way to the top,” Bier wrote on X. “I’m joining X as Head of Product.”

In a post featuring him alongside Elon Musk, Bier credited the platform with shaping both internet culture and his personal life. “X is the most important social network in the world,” he wrote. “It’s where internet culture originates and where the world’s most influential people convene.”

As part of his role, Bier will work on integrating Grok, X’s in-house AI chatbot developed by Musk’s xAI, into the platform’s core experience. His goal: help users better understand what’s happening in real-time by creating “hyper-relevant timelines.”

Bier’s appointment comes at a critical moment. Over the past year, X has steadily expanded its financial infrastructure, acquiring money transmitter licenses across more than a dozen U.S. states. 

In May, Musk announced the launch of “X Money,” a native currency for payments on the platform. And in June, CEO Linda Yaccarino revealed that in-app investing and trading features would soon follow.

The hiring of Bier, who has direct ties to Solana, has further fueled talk that crypto tokens like SOL and Dogecoin may eventually be integrated into X’s growing fintech ecosystem. After the news broke, Dogecoin (DOGE) saw a quick 1.82% jump, hitting a daily high of $0.1675.

With his track record of building viral social apps and strong ties to the crypto world, Bier seems like a smart pick for Musk’s big vision of turning X into an all-in-one platform.

As X rolls out Grok, adds payment features, and possibly brings in crypto tokens, Bier’s arrival could play a key role in shaping what comes next, something the entire crypto space is keeping an eye on.