A publication on Handshake and the DWeb. Towards a New Internet.
By the numbers
Putting the UD in FUD
Cross-chain registry protocols are bringing Ethereum and Handshake closer together. At the same time, the Ethereum and Handshake communities have united in calling out Unstoppable Domains (UD) for their centralized tactics and false trademark accusations, in light of UD’s recent lawsuit filed against .wallet on Handshake.
“Their brand is likely to be drug further through the mud & I will be one of those loudly pushing alternatives” - Hudson Jameson, formerly of the Ethereum Foundation
“I upgraded them further to “bad actors and cognizant of it” and they inspired my first (and currently only) negative-vibes blog post: Unstoppable and the Infinite Sadness” - Ric Moo, author of ethers.js
CEO Matthew Gould or anyone else from Unstoppable Domains has yet to comment publicly on the matter. As for the lawsuit itself, the owner of the Handshake .wallet domain plans to fight it with Namecheap signaling their intention to support those efforts.
The irony of this all is that Unstoppable Domains is simply accelerating Handshake’s adoption of decentralized registry infrastructure, making Handshake even more unstoppable.
This Week in Handshake
¹ Namebase dSLDs A proposal for decentralized SLDs from Namebase identifies Optimism, an Ethereum L2 network, as the protocol of choice. The design includes several unique features:
A percentage of registry fees will be directed to a multisig used for Handshake core development.
Metadata to include registration and expiration dates, with possibility for custom avatars or even full NFT collections based around a TLD.
An EPP extension enables compatibility with traditional registrars to offer custodial services alongside full self-custody.
Log in with Handshake: An SDK supporting both TLD and SLD authentication via EVM compatible wallets
Phasing of the system will begin with with existing TLDs staked on Namebase.
² Impervious Registry TLDs can now customize SLD pricing based on character length. All .www domain registrations are now $10, regardless of length. This is the first step in introducing programmability into decentralized registries. Over time, expect to see TLDs set their own configurations across distribution, renewals, royalties, governance, etc.
³ Batching Create batch transactions with any combination of covenants and names with HSD wallet using two new RPC calls: sendbatch and createbatch. This is useful for things like redeeming all bids in an auction or renewing multiple names at once.
⁴ Handshake Lingo A guide to DNS, crypto, and network-specific terminology in the Handshake ecosystem.
HNS nodes around the globe
Around the DWeb
ETH.LINK The popular eth.link gateway for ENS expired and was temporarily owned by an unknown identity, changing all NS records in the process. This serves as a reminder of the trust assumptions we trade off when we choose the convenience of third party DNS gateways. It’s best to use native resolver like Fingertip.
Events
Aug 24 DWeb Camp
Sep 3 Handshake + NamesCon | Event & Happy Hour
First time checking out the blog and found it very informative. Subbed and looking forward to the next one.