---
title: "If I Own It, Why Do I Have to Renew It?"
author: Erwin Groen
description: "If you truly own a Handshake name, why does it still need to be renewed? Understanding the heartbeat transaction."
date: "2026-09-07"
image: /media/if-i-own-it-why-do-i-have-to-renew-it.png
tags:
  - Handshake
  - HNS
  - Renewal
  - Heartbeat Transaction
  - Decentralised Naming
  - Digital Ownership
  - OwnTheDot
---

We’ve talked a lot about owning a Handshake name.

But there’s an obvious question.

**If I really own the name, why does it need to be renewed?**

At first, that might sound a little like the domain name system we already have.

But there is an important difference.

## Renewal Doesn't Mean Buying It Again

With a traditional domain name, you normally pay a registration fee for a set period.

Want to keep the domain?

You pay another renewal fee.

**Handshake works differently.**

Once you own a Handshake name, you don't have to keep paying a registrar an annual registration fee simply for permission to continue owning it.

But the Handshake protocol still requires the ownership record to be periodically renewed on the blockchain.

That's where the heartbeat transaction comes in.

## Think of It as a Heartbeat

Within the Handshake community, this renewal is often described as a **heartbeat transaction**.

It's a useful way to think about it.

By making the renewal transaction, you're effectively telling the network:

“I'm still here. This name is still being maintained.”

You're not purchasing the name again.

You're not bidding for it again.

And you're not renting another year of ownership.

**You're maintaining your ownership record on the Handshake blockchain.**

## How Often?

Handshake names need to be renewed within a period of roughly ***two years****.*

The renewal requires an on chain transaction, so there can still be a small network transaction fee.

But that's different from paying an annual registration or renewal price based on the value of the name.

The name remains yours as long as you continue meeting the protocol's requirements.

## Why Have Renewals at All?

Imagine a name whose owner disappears or permanently loses the keys controlling it.

Without a renewal requirement, that name could potentially remain unavailable forever.

Periodic renewal gives the protocol a way of determining whether a name is still being actively maintained.

If a Handshake name isn't renewed within the required period, it can eventually expire and become available for auction again.

This helps prevent abandoned names from remaining locked indefinitely.

## Ownership Still Comes With Responsibility

And this is where ownership becomes important.

A traditional registrar will often send you reminders:

**“Your domain expires in 30 days.”**

With a self managed Handshake name, ultimately **you are responsible for making sure the name remains renewed**.

That's one of the responsibilities that comes with greater control.

Nobody needs to give you permission to continue owning your name.

But nobody else is automatically responsible for looking after it either.

So if someone asks:

**“If I own my Handshake name, why do I have to renew it?”**

The answer is fairly simple.

**Renewing your Handshake name isn't paying for permission to keep it.**

**It's part of the responsibility of owning it.**

**Own the Name. Own the Rules. Own The Dot. ⚪️**