Handshake DNS vs Traditional DNS

The world of top-level domains is changing, and Handshake is shaping this world into a decentralized territory. If you’ve been seeking more security and personal control over your web pages, then Handshake is about to shake things up.

The New Handshake TLD 

Traditional DNS has been the single trust root for securing the internet. Now with Handshake, there’s an alternative to traditional DNS for a more collaborative decentralized network. Anyone who wants the ultimate freedom for domain extensions, outright ownership of a TLD (top-level domain), and the removal of a Certificate Authority system should look into getting a Handshake TLD.

DNS Hierarchy

The rightmost part of a domain name is the Top Level Domain (TLD), such as .com or .org. TLDs on a DNS server exist as these commonly known letters, and creating your own unique TLD with DNS is a long and expensive process. With a Handshake TLD, you’re able to potentially create any name you can imagine.

For example, some Handshake TLDs that you can use with Encirca include:

• .INFLUENCER
• .ECONOMY
• .TECH
• .HIRE
• .STARTUP

Handshake was created with this freedom in mind. Handshake began as a piece of software that serves to have a decentralized base layer of the internet, compared to DNS that has become more centralized since the 1990’s. With the Handshake software comes the Handshake TLD — the naming system powered by users and Handshake crypto.

How Handshake DNS Differs From Traditional DNS

DNS is what we’ve come to know when it comes to communication between domain names and numerical IP addresses, allowing for a seamless translation for computers to understand. Traditional DNS takes advantage of communication protocols for the world wide web’s user-friendly navigation as well as email connection. The internet simply relies on DNS services for hosting information and validating communication.[/et_pb_row]*Here’s what makes Handshake DNS different:*

• More security with blockchain-based protocols
• No CAs (Certificate Authorities) that you may not trust 
• No annual TLD fees 
• HNS - the handshake coin used for name registration
• Outright ownership of names with cryptocurrency bidding
• Unique naming and characters can be used in domain names
• You must install or use a gateway to resolve Handshake domains

[/et_pb_row](images/blockchain-privacy-1024x575.png)

Handshake Has Privacy Built In

Handshake is an experimental peer-to-peer root DNS. It’s also a blockchain protocol, which means it uses a digital record of web transactions to log tamper-proof activity. Blockchains are also used for recording the transactions that are made with cryptocurrencies, and Handshake takes advantage of crypto for seamless and secure domain naming distribution.

With traditional DNS, we trust CAs (Certificate Authorities) which are third parties that verify and authenticate websites. CAs are used to prevent MITM (Man in the Middle) attacks that can inspect or modify secure data. Websites are HTTPS registered with a private key and public key that verifies signatures, and this is verified by CAs.

The main differentiating features of Handshake compared to traditional DNS is its ability to use similar cryptocurrency blockchain protocols rather than trusting CAs. This is what ultimately makes Handshake more secure and decentralized. Data stored with blockchains are unchanging and verified by all parties, and Bitcoin is a popular example that runs on blockchain technology.

Handshake Crypto

Another primary function of Handshake is having people agree on names and cryptographic keys in a decentralized manner. This is done by preventing single parties from owning all the internet names under one account. HNS (handshake coin) is the coin system that participants use to bid on names, and therefore uses the community to initiate auctions and an incentive design.

When thinking of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, the benefit is it’s extravagant store of value. Handshake on the other hand accumulates value from the network of users, relying on concepts of Metcalfe’s law to initiate more use for more benefits for all. Similar to bitcoin you have a Handshake wallet that lets you spend and accept coins, and you can also find the HNS value under Handshake CoinMarketCap (price-tracking for cryptoassets).

Unique Naming

After you use HNS to bid on a name or obtain one with a registrar, you have full ownership that no other entity can take away from you. This also means no annual payments to keep a TLD. Rather than renting a limited number of extension TLDs, you can just renew Handshake names biannually.

Handshake also allows trademark holders to gain early access during the “sunrise period” to claim their own trademarked names. You can even use special characters and virtually any name you think of when registering an internet name. This is unheard of with traditional DNS where domain naming is much more limited, and now you can create unlimited domain names under your Handshake TLD.

Accessing Handshake Manually

If you try to type in a known Handshake domain name on a traditional DNS server, you’re not going to have much luck. Until browsers implement Handshake into their software, you must use a plugin to access Handshake websites. Resolving Handshake domains can include web add-ons, extensions, and DNS settings. 

Setting up and installing everything you need to access Handshake manually typically involves an understanding of blockchains and plenty of technical jargon. While setting up Handshake with cryptographic blockchains is rather complicated for some people, Encirca makes it easy without using fancy blockchain interfaces. When obtaining a Handshake TLD with Encirca, you can access your Handshake domain names for free with NextDNS.

Owning A Handshake Domain 

By owning the name via Handshake, you own the TLD along with the SLD (second-level domain), which is the text right before the TLD. This gives you full distribution of your own registered name for others to create SLD’s with it. You have more freedom with this ability combined with the Handshake blockchain protocol.

Blockchain technology reduces the need for banks as the middleman since the protocol has proven to be highly secure and decreases the cost of transfers. The PoW (proof-of-work) that the blockchain utilizes is similar to Bitcoin’s naming capabilities. The proof-of-work protocol is the layer that enables smart contracts for the Handshake domain name auction system.

The ownership of Handshake names is determined with public-key cryptography. This makes it simple to verify owners of names by having them sign a message along with their private key. This is ultimately how a traditional DNS centralized system becomes obsolete, or at least how the third-party controlled root zone file of DNS is replaced.

An Attainable Handshake With Encirca

Handshake is an ambitious plan to reinvent the wheel and make website naming a decentralized peer-to-peer system. The domains under a Handshake DNS rather than a traditional DNS can benefit from full ownership, better security, and a blockchain protocol. Modern and limitless digital capabilities are at your fingertips by implementing Handshake.

Gain respect for your privacy and get easy access to Handshake by registering a Handshake TLD with Encirca. Encirca also allows you to take advantage of Handshake TLDs without paying with crypto-currency and using blockchain interfaces. You’ll be ahead of the game for the future of DNS and the internet.[/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]