Handshake Protocol

Handshake (HNS) is a decentralized, permissionless naming protocol that replaces the traditional [[dns|DNS]] root zone with a blockchain-based alternative. Instead of relying on [[icann|ICANN]] to allocate top-level domains, Handshake allows anyone to bid on and own [[tld|TLD]]-level names directly on the blockchain using HNS coin auctions. The Handshake blockchain stores signed ownership proofs for these names, and a compatible resolver layer translates them for standard browsers. Critically, all existing [[icann|ICANN]] TLDs are reserved and protected — they cannot be registered on Handshake, preserving backward compatibility.