I entered the Handshake world in January of 2021, thanks to the encouragement of Mr. Mark S. and after my conversation with Mr. Tieshun R followed up by a reinforcement video call by Mr. Johnny W.

I mean after all… isn’t it a dream of every domain owner to own a .TLD. I now feel just as powerful as any TLD owner regardless of where Handshake adoption currently stands. I understand that IS UNCONFISCATABLE and is CENSORSHIP RESISTANT…. if you look at it…. its actually much more powerful than the 1514 ican’t approved TLD’s. Also the current situation is about as bad as it can get – no adoption, glitchy systems, downtime, few resolvers (HDNS.io, HNS.to), confusing – yet names still going for a few $$$$. Imagine if some of these bad times turn to good times….

There have been a few epiphanies in my life starting with the first domain I registered (foodandrestaurants.com ~ 1999), followed by my investment in bitcoin in 2015 and now the ability to operate a TLD via Handshake. Here are a few takeaways and my 6 point approach to Handshake:

1. Scouting – This is where you want to look for names that you have an interest in, where you feel money can be made and something unique that the average Joe is not investing in. Scout relentlessly.

2. Releasing – Releasing names needs to be done very strategically. Unlike buying domains, when you release a name, you are basically publicly announcing to the whole world that you claim your title to “thisname/” on the HNS route zone. You want to make sure to release the name at a specific time so that when the auction ends (about 720 blocks – 5 days) it should be at time when you are awake. Also you dont want to release multiple same names of the same type at the same time. It alerts the competition as to the idea you are planning around the TLD’s and also makes it difficult to manage multiple ending auctions simultaneously. Release strategically.

3. Monitoring – Consistently monitoring names is crucial to see what type of activity the TLD is receiving. If there is peak interest, you may want to start planning to build and allocate funds in order to defend those names. Typically the action starts in the last 2 hours of the auction ending….and heavy action in the last 10-20 minutes. This is when you need to be at full alert in order to avoid losing your names to snipers at the last minute. Monitor consistently.

4. Bidding – I have different strategies to opening names and bidding, but typically opening with 1 HNS followed by a 65 HNS Bid and a hefty blind has worked well for me. This keeps the snipers at bay as well as discourages others when they see multiple bids. The blind is an important part of this game…so make sure to read the instructions first. No wah wah later! Be mindful of your bids as your balance could easily dwindle with just one good name that you have to defend. Bid mindfully.

5. Claiming – Thankfully with namebase so far – they have claimed all my names for me, but as I understand it, some private wallets may not afford this luxury and you need to do your due diligence in order to claim your name. This is especially important in case there is a tie at the end of the auction. Claim accordingly.

6. Winning – When the name arrives in your account … it means that you OWN your TLD and you can actually do whatever you want with it – unconfiscatable, censorship resistant and a world of unlimited opportunities, . If you want to use it as a domain – you can do that. If you want to setup your friends, family and associates with cool SLD.TLD’s – this is the opportunity to get them cheap! Turn your TLD’s into NFT’s and when the buyer purchases, it unlocks content that provides them with instructions to have the TLD in their permission. If you want to operate as a registry – well you don’t have to ask anybody for any permissions – just do it!
Win Happily!

I still believe that development needs to be done on legacy internet – there needs to be value and maybe incentive in order for users to make any changes from the norm. Having users do more than 1 step is asking for too much! It needs to be “CLICK HERE to resolve and collect $Token“. We’ll get there eventually but even getting users away from the habit of typing .com after a word is going to be a hurdle in itself that may take a decade or so if not longer to adapt.

These are my favorite TLD’s so far:
.million – one in a
.billion – unlimited TLD’s
.diva – every queen needs a .diva
.gotcha – catchy
.nftart – get your ______ .nftart
.nftmusic – drop listen earn
.irv short for my city of irvine
.cliq – for those with a higher IQ
.dukaan – shopify for India
.inr – Indian Rupee

What about yours – whats your favorite TLD’s that you own?

KingSingh/