Different Choices for Issuing SLD Domains on your Handshake TLDs

How are people issuing SLD domains on their Handshake names? Let's discuss options, tech, and case studies.
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skyinclude
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Different Choices for Issuing SLD Domains on your Handshake TLDs

Post by skyinclude »

Tech Options Developing for SLDs (Domains) on Handshake TLDs

What are the discussions now about how to register a SLD (also just known in the current “old” internet as a “domain”) on these Handshake domains?

Now for some explaining of what is a SLD and how is it different from a TLD?

I made a video on this here:


As well as a tutorial here https://skyinclude.com/sld

To explain the tech, and on the blog post I mention the main option right now. In this thread I’ll mention more.

Discussion - Onchain (trustless) or OffChain (centralized)?

One discussion I see being brought up on various telegram groups is having the domain records of SLDs stored on the Handshake HNS Blockchain.
(You can join some or all of the Telegram groups we know about here
viewtopic.php?p=33#p33 )

But the Handshake blockchain was built for TLD auctions, DNS records (on a TTLD level), and renewals. It wasn’t built for SLDs (domains).

Reading groups, early pioneers of Handshake say the reason for not including the SLD data is it would “bloat” the blockchain with tons more data (as there is almost infinite amount of names that can be on each TLD - imagine, skyinclude.TLD, abc.TLD, joe.TLD) for all of these domain names, on each of the registered TLDs.

Some have asked to have “redirects” on the HNS blockchain, but the technical users says redirects is not a DNS setting. (Honestly I am not too familiar).

Is the discussion of storing the SLD (domain) records on the Handshake blockchain possible?

Let’s write out some of the developments we see now:

Option 1: Gateway.io by Namebase
Namebase is doing amazing things to enable the masses be able to get their TLD names in the first year auction, and have been building up a solution at https://www.gateway.io

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Right now, for us to be included, they have a Google form to fill out (the SkyInclude team filled out one a long time ago, and has a bunch of new TLDs to include) and they must be overwhelmed with request.

Talking to the Park.io team, they explained they licensed out technology to Namebase for making this registry.

This looks like it would be maintained in a more traditional way that current domains are stored, on a local database (please correct me if I am mistaken).

how to get listed on Gateway IO? I started a dedicated thread here viewtopic.php?f=23&t=111


Option 2: Impervious Building on Footprint

Matt Zipkin is leading a new IT initiative at the brand new Impervious company (launched Jan 1, 2021) which is funded by Park.io team.

https://impervious.com/

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@io_domains has created a new company Impervious Inc, which will focus on #Handshake dev and we’re excited to announce that @MatthewZipkin has joined the team & will begin Jan 1 working full time on Handshake core / open source to help the dev of the Handshake ecosystem #HNS
Reading various Telegram groups, the team is working on using Footnote to have SLD records stored. Footnote is a “level 2” on chain (honestly I am hoping someone in the forum clarifies for us), not on the “level 1” of the HNS blockchain.


Option 3: Ethereum Smart Contract Records
Some are discussing having ETH as the blockchain to store the SLD data.

I’m still learning this one, but essentially what would happen is you point your TLD on Handshake to an Ethereum blockchain that would then be the custodian of these SLD domains you sell / issue.

The keyword here is smart contracts, which is what Eth was made for.

But some worry this would be expensive as the blockchain of ETH is very “busy” now. But some talk about Eth2.0 coming which is much more efficient (cheaper).


The Goal - Decentralized SLD domains for TLD Handshake Names

What many are asking for is “trust - less” domain selling on their Handshake domains.

Why is this important?

It is having all the domain records stored on a blockchain (nodes all around the world / internet) that sync who is the owner of the SLD domain, and that SLD owner then would update their domain records to point to whichever server (and future email servers) - without needing to have that on a “centralized database” that the TLD Handshake owner controls.

Also, what happens if the TLD is sold / transferred and the new owner changes the rules, orr simply wipes out the SLD owners? Or increases the price of the SLDs and tells current owners to pay up.

I hope I didn’t mis-explain or mis-represent anything in this - just trying to put the ideas out on an open forum (as Telegram and Discord are closed) and to get more of the community and potential new HNS community to read and learn and share.

Please add your comments, and I can update this topic as it goes.
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- SkyInclude/

https://skyinclude.com/ or HNS http://setup.skyinclude :mrgreen:

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