XRD Domains is the primary developer of the Radix Name Service (RNS) and serves as a platform for domain registration and management.
Background
XRD Domains is a project that aims to make the process of managing domains on the Radix network as simple and user-friendly as possible. While XRD Domains is not the RNS itself, it is a prominent developer of the RNS - a domain registry and trust layer running on the Radix network.
The Radix Name Service is a separate entity, owned and governed by a community foundation and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) called the RNS Foundation. XRD Domains and the RNS Foundation have distinct but related roles – XRD Domains focuses on building tools and services that allow users and developers to fully leverage .xrd domains, while the RNS Foundation develops and maintains the underlying RNS protocol itself.
One of the primary goals of XRD Domains is to help fulfill the development and bootstrapping requirements of the RNS Foundation and DAO. However, XRD Domains does not hold a monopoly over the RNS – the Radix Name Service is an open protocol, allowing many different dApps, service providers, and platform providers to interact with its smart contracts and build their own platforms and access points for domain owners.
Domain Registration and Management
Domain Registration Lifecycle
Acquiring a domain on the Radix Name Service involves a multi-step process facilitated by XRD Domains.
- Domain Search and Commitment: Users search for an available domain name and commit to its base purchase price if available.
- Settlement Period: Once committed, the domain enters a settlement period, which is a window of time that allows for price and demand discovery. During this period, other parties may initiate an auction if they are also interested in the same domain. The length of the settlement period varies based on the number of characters in the domain name.
- Auction Process: If multiple parties express interest in the same domain during the settlement period, they have the opportunity to participate in an "advantage auction" facilitated by XRD Domains. This auction mechanism provides an "originator's edge" to the initial applicant, requiring others to submit incrementally higher bids with a minimum 20% premium.
- Domain Claim: If no competing interest arises during the settlement period, the original applicant can claim the domain once the period ends. If an auction occurred, the winning bidder claims the domain after the 48-hour auction process concludes.
Base Pricing
Domains on the Radix Name Service are subject to a base pricing schedule, denominated in US dollars and payable in the XRD equivalent at the time of purchase. This base pricing can be considered the minimum price a user pays if the domain settles without competition from other interested parties. The same base pricing schedule also applies to domain renewals.
The current base pricing schedule is as follows:
Domain Length | Base Price ($ per year) | Example |
2 characters | $240 | hi.xrd |
3 characters | $120 | hey.xrd |
4 characters | $40 | hola.xrd |
5+ characters | $4 | hello.xrd |
The pricing is derived from the 90-day moving average price of XRD versus the US dollar and is reviewed every 90 days or if the XRD/USD rate moves ±20% within a 7-day period. Any pricing changes require an amendment voted on by the RNS DAO.
While this pricing may seem expensive for shorter domains, it is actually cheaper compared to many other Web3 name services. Longer domains intended for utility purposes have a very affordable $4 per year base price.
Domains are currently set to an annual renewal model rather than a single lifetime purchase. This incentivizes continuous innovation and development of services around the RNS by funding an ecosystem through renewal fees deposited into the RNS Foundation treasury.
Settlement Periods
After committing to a domain purchase, the domain enters a settlement period - a window of time that allows for price and demand discovery. During this period, other parties may initiate an auction for the same domain if they are also interested in acquiring it.
The length of the settlement period varies based on the character length of the domain:
Domain Length | Settlement Period |
2 characters | 96 hours |
3 characters | 72 hours |
4 characters | 64 hours |
5 characters | 48 hours |
8 characters | 36 hours |
10 characters | 24 hours |
12 characters | 8 hours |
15 characters | 4 hours |
18+ characters | Instant settlement |
The settlement period mechanism aims to create a user-friendly experience for generic domain registrations, while still allowing for auctions if competing demand arises. It strikes a balance between transparency, demand-based fair pricing, and usability compared to blind auction approaches used by some other name services.
The varying settlement periods based on length reflect the assumption that shorter domains are more likely to be perceived as high-value, while longer domains are usually intended for more generic, utility purposes that benefit from a smoother registration flow.
Advantage Auctions
If other parties express interest in a domain during its settlement period, they have the opportunity to participate in an "advantage auction" facilitated by XRD Domains. This auction mechanism is designed to provide a fair and user-friendly process for acquiring valuable domain names.
The advantage auction works as follows:
- Initial Applicant's Edge: The party who originally applied for the domain is given an "originator's edge". They only need to slightly overbid the current highest bid to remain the leading bidder, without paying the full 20% premium required of others.
- Incremental Bidding: All parties besides the initial applicant must submit a bid at least 20% higher than the current highest bid. This 20% premium compounds with each new highest bid.
- 48-Hour Duration: Once initiated, the advantage auction has a total duration of 48 hours after the end of the domain's remaining settlement period.
This approach offers several key benefits:
- It protects generic domain applicants from interceptors and flippers, as the initial applicant can easily compete using their "edge".
- It provides a transparent auction process that ensures the RNS Foundation receives a fair market price for valuable domains.
- It enables a streamlined, intuitive user experience akin to popular Web2 auction platforms.
While not eliminating all potential for abuse, the advantage auction mechanism strikes a balance between first-come-first-served and highest-bid approaches used by other name services.
Initiatives
Sunrise Initiative
The 'sunrise' initiative was a reservation process launched in the first week after the announcement of the Radix Name Service (RNS). It allowed critical projects, validator services, and associates of RDX Works (the company behind Radix) to reserve specific .xrd domains before they became generally available.
The main purpose of the sunrise initiative was to reduce the likelihood of domain squatting and impersonation for entities core to the Radix ecosystem. By reserving domains proactively, it ensured recognizable names were allocated to their legitimate owners and services.
Eligible projects and services can claim their reserved sunrise domains through the XRD Domains platform and a dedicated claims portal at https://my.xrd.domains/claims. To claim a domain, they simply need to connect the Radix wallet address previously specified during the reservation process.
Any sunrise domains that remain unclaimed by their eligible owners after December 31, 2028 will be released back into general availability on the Radix Name Service.
This proactive measure helped establish a clean start for the launch of the RNS by blocking bad actors from squatting on key names attached to the Radix ecosystem and its related services.
Landrush Initiative
In January 2023, ahead of the mainnet launch of the Radix Name Service (RNS), the founders ran a landrush initiative over a single weekend. This allowed anyone to register and reserve a personal .xrd domain name.
The landrush was implemented to ensure that supporters and members of the Radix community could secure their desired domain names early on. Over 10,000 domain registrations were received during this limited-time event.
Users who successfully applied and had their landrush domain approved can now claim it through the XRD Domains platform claims portal at https://my.xrd.domains/claims. To claim, they simply need to connect the Radix wallet address used for the original landrush application.
However, all landrush domains have an expiration date of March 1, 2025 (UTC). Any eligible domains that are not actively claimed by their respective applicants before this date will be released back into general availability on the RNS.
The landrush provided a fair and accessible way for the Radix community to get involved with the name service from very early stages by reserving personal domains tied to their identity or projects on the network.
Namelets
Namelets are XRD Domains' abstraction for managing domain records and connecting .xrd domains to various applications and use cases on the Radix network. Rather than dealing with complex record configurations, namelets provide a simplified and user-friendly approach.
Each namelet is designed to handle a specific context for a domain, such as:
- Transfers/Payments: Linking a cryptocurrency wallet address
- Navigation/Web Browsing: Routing to a website or dApp
- Delegation/Staking: Setting addresses for validator nodes
- Messaging/Mail: Connecting email and communication services (coming soon)
These contexts are represented as "slots" in the XRD Domains platform's interface. Users can easily see which namelets are assigned to each slot and any applicable limits per context.
The namelet system abstracts away technical complexities, allowing users to connect their domain to different services and functionalities across Web3 with just a few simple actions, similar to connecting apps and services through a platform like Zapier.
When transferring ownership of a .xrd domain, any namelets assigned to that domain and its subdomains are carried over to the new owner, unless the transfer is facilitated through XRD Domains' dedicated transfer manager tool.
Namelets aim to make domains on the Radix network truly extensible and adaptable to emerging Web3 use cases beyond just web browsing and navigation.
Team
The XRD Domains and Radix Name Service projects have multiple founders.
James Wylie
Main article: James Wylie
Founder & Full Stack Developer. With extensive experience founding successful start-ups, Wylie has been in the cryptosphere since 2010 and currently builds the front end applications behind XRD Domains.
Aled Jones (@senoj_dela)
Aled is a self-taught front-end developer who has garnered experience working with multiple startups. In his role at XRD Domains, he was instrumental in building the browser extensions for the project.
Ibrahim Mahmood
Often referred to as a Radix and #Scrypto legend, Beem is a seasoned computer scientist. His background includes substantial work with large Fintech enterprises. With a passion for @rustlang, Beem has been pivotal in constructing the on-ledger smart contracts for XRD Domains using Scrypto.
Rock Howard
With over four decades of experience in software development, Rock's intrigue with crypto was kindled at CalTech. He has been inspired by early #Bitcoin contributors, notably Hal Finney. Rock is not only an adept speaker and advisor but also looks after Partner Outreach at XRD Domains.
Olivia Sweeney
Olivia, fondly known as Liv, wears many hats. She is a gifted graphic designer and an experienced entrepreneur. At XRD Domains, she is the creative force behind their design and branding efforts. Simultaneously, she is pursuing a degree in Psychology.
Faraz Abulhawa
Faraz's association with Radix has been long-standing, particularly as a validator node-runner and community ambassador. At XRD Domains, he manages community engagement, support, and partnerships.