What Does It Mean to Own The Dot?

Every website begins with a name.

For most of the internet’s history, those names have existed within a centrally coordinated Domain Name System. We register a domain, pay recurring fees and continue renewing it for as long as we want to use it.

But what if there were another way?

That question sits at the heart of #OwnTheDot.

Registration vs Ownership

With a traditional domain such as a .com, you register the right to use the name, subject to renewal requirements and the policies of the existing domain name system.

Handshake introduces a different model

Handshake is a decentralised naming protocol where top level names can be controlled through cryptographic keys, with ownership recorded on a blockchain rather than managed through a traditional central registry.

Handshake names still require maintenance. A periodic on-chain heartbeat transaction, approximately once every two years, is required to keep a name active.

The important difference is the model of control.

What Does “Own The Dot” Mean?

The dot represents something simple: your name online

Businesses have names.
Creators have names.
Communities have names.
People have names.

Increasingly, those names form part of our digital identities.

OwnTheDot encourages people to think about who ultimately controls those names and to explore decentralised alternatives such as Handshake.

It doesn’t have to mean choosing one internet over another.

A .com provides compatibility with today’s traditional DNS. A Handshake name offers an alternative decentralised naming model.

You may choose one. You may choose both allowing each to offer something different.

The important thing is knowing you have a choice.

Why ⚪️?

For #OwnTheDot, the simple white circle ⚪️ represents the dot itself; a simple symbol for naming and ownership.

That captures what #OwnTheDot is ultimately about:

Your name | Your choice | Your control.

Own the Name. Own the Rules. Own The Dot.