Blockchain domains serve more than one purpose. Besides being suites of smart contracts, these domains can work as name registrations for crypto wallet addresses. Unfortunately, people don’t get to choose the domains of their preference every time because most of them already exist or are owned by large companies. This is where Handshake, a decentralized DNS server, has stepped in to give domain names back to the people.
As a decentralized DNS world system, Handshake is bringing about a new change in the way domains are owned. Ordinarily, a user can register and then lease a domain out to another user. This means the domain is not actually owned by the person who created it. Handshake gives true sovereign ownership over names to name owners back to the people. This DNS server is currently controlled by ICANN, but unlike the traditional ICANN system, Handshake is powered by blockchain technology, so it is not managed by a single entity.
Apart from setting a new trend in domain ownership, Handshake has also broken the conventional flow of blockchain projects by being institutionally integrated. This remarkable move in blockchain technology has already earned the support of Namecheap, the second-largest registrar in the world, along with EnCirca. 101Domain is already supporting Handshake domain registrations. Handshake is like a fresh breeze in the domain naming system in a growing world of de-platforming and censorship online.
NextDNS is one of the renowned companies that have backed Handshake. NextDNS is the resolver for the Firefox web browser. With this kind of support, Handshake has been able to airdrop coins to all of the major FOSS (free open source software) developers in the world. The positive response that this DNS server has earned is because of its unparalleled security. Unlike other domains that are dependent on third-party SSL certificates for encryption, Handshake has built-in security as a DNS server. This also makes the server safe from hacking activities that are common in the crypto world.
Handshake operates beyond ICANN to offer an expansion of the TLD space. Handshake TLDs provide complete control to the internet users to operate independently. Now, users can get a TLD and create a top-level domain easily. With that, Handshake also became the pioneer domain provider to offer a Sunrise registration period for trademark holders. All of this comes without the user having to give any kind of information to register the domain, not even exact contact details. This marks a stark difference from the WHOIS model. No censorship comes into play with Handshake.
Handshake was co-founded by three blockchain giants — Joseph Poon, Chris Jeffries, and Andrew Lee. The DNS server is the brainchild of Poon, the co-creator of Bitcoin Lightning Network and Ethereum Plasma. Jeffries is one of the top developers in FOSS who also developed Bcoin and Mako. Lee is the CEO of Purse.io, a major Bitcoin shopping site. Lee has also joined as a co-founder of the unique domain naming system.
Currently, the team working behind Handshake is looking forward to the full adoption of the DNS server on the internet. This will further establish the concept of freedom to choose a domain name, which is the foundation of Handshake. The DNS server will continue to provide sovereignty in domain names, bringing the control of domains back to the people.
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