5 ms·

Namecoin: Distributed (p2p) domain registration system based on bitcoin

102 points by elliottcarlson 15y ago

elliottcarlson 15y ago
Other links of interest regarding Namecoin: http://www.bluishcoder.co.nz/2011/05/12/namecoin-a-dns-alternative-based-on-bitcoin.html http://www.bluishcoder.co.nz/2011/05/12/namecoin-a-dns-alter... https://github.com/vinced/namecoin https://github.com/vinced/namecoin http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=6017.0 http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=6017.0
- chalst 15y ago
  Plus a duplicate HN story that got some discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2586778 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2586778
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
Duff 15y ago
Sweet! Now I can use money that nobody uses to own a domain name that nobody can visit!
- kiba 15y ago
  The money that nobody uses is also apparently making me rich, for now. Hopefully, it will get even better.
  - trotsky 15y ago
    lets leave the ponzi dreams over on your smf
    - mike_esspe 15y ago
      My partner dropped his work to work full time on bitcoin project back in February. I think he was one of the first, who have bitcoins as main income source. Currently bitcoin related projects are an unexplored land of possibilities :)
      - shii 15y ago
        Could you elaborate on what he does and how it all works out? Sounds pretty fascinating, does he use Mt Gox or something else to convert to more recognized fiats? Does he (and you) have a backup plan in case things don't work out as planned with Bitcoin?
        mike_esspe 15y ago
        Mining pool (http://deepbit.net http://deepbit.net). Yes, mtgox for now, though i hope that in a year or two i will be able to pay my rent with it directly :) Currently the growth is exponential, so it takes time to scale it. For me it's a side project, though it's becoming a large part of my income. If bitcoins fail - no big deal, just move on.
        grondilu 15y ago
        I would definitely not be willing to pay my rent directly in bitcoins. It is much more interesting to pay in silly worthless fiat governmental currency.
        mike_esspe 15y ago
        Currently to pay it i have to convert bitcoins to fiat currency (and lose around 2% in the process). I'd like to be able to skip this part.
      - bhickey 15y ago
        I wonder how the IRS will choose to treat it. If you solve a block, have you made income or realized a capital gain? When you convert BTC into a national currency, what gain have you realized? (Current_price - Price_at_generation)? It seems like a legal minefield.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - cruzer 15y ago
      There have been other attempts to make a currency with computers. However, bitcoin looks to have solved them. No central bank, dont just give them out for free, don't flood the market, Open Source, "Open Source", protect from dubble spending, and have really easy to work with API's. This is why I am behind the project. I totaly agree that any startup is going to be a big risk, but so far bitcoin seems to be taking off. Here is the bitcoin whitepaper which will show you how it works. http://myrelay.net/files/bitcoin.pdf http://myrelay.net/files/bitcoin.pdf Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/technology-psilocybin-bitcoins-gavin-andresen-crypto-currency.html http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/technology-psilocybin... ThisWeekinStartups http://thisweekinstartups.com/ http://thisweekinstartups.com/
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - pygy_ 15y ago
      IMO, beside the current highly speculative valuations, the Bitcoin system has an intrinsic value derived from it's architecture. How much it is worth is another story.
rryan 15y ago
I think there is a scaling problem here -- every client in the network has to hold a full copy of the entire block-chain in order to know every host on the .bit TLD or to participate in acquiring and actively renewing one's domains. DNS solves this problem by virtue of its recursive nature. I'm not sure this is suitable for Internet-scale use.
- mcav 15y ago
  I was wondering the same thing about Bitcoin itself. If Bitcoins took off, wouldn't they run into a scaling issue too?
  - Groxx 15y ago
    Essentially, yes. For mining. Transactions don't require you to have the full block chain, you just have to "know" your current balance's info so you can make modifications to it.
  - cruzer 15y ago
    This is how it is implemented now. However, it is not needed. The dev's have already said this can and will change when it needs too. Pluss, even now it is only the mining rig's that need the full list. If you just want a wallet to send and receve bitcoin you don't need the whole thing.... Correct me if I am worng. Also, you can use an on-line wallet service to hold your coins and then you don't need anything.
    - rmc 15y ago
      So essentially there is going to be a big change to make BitCoin work better in a while. That sounds like IPv6, new web versions, and OS/browser upgrade head fuck.
      - mburns 15y ago
        No, it is not a change in the protocol. It will be a seamless migration for normal clients to not keep the entire blockchain. This was planned for from day 1.
kiba 15y ago
Technologies have a tendency to escape their niches. Namecoin is jailbreak out of Bitcoin technology's niches.
- Yxven 15y ago
  I agree completely. If this works, why tie its fate to bitcoin? With various governments deciding they can seize domains, this could be huge.
RyanKearney 15y ago
Set $wgLogo to the URL path to your own logo image. Well this sure was thrown together quickly.
foxfifi 15y ago
Toutes les marque <a href="http://www.tshirtspascher.com/tee-shirt-burberry-c-3.html>Tee http://www.tshirtspascher.com/tee-shirt-burberry-c-3.html&#6... Shirt Burberry</a>sont originales et directement de l usine. Toutes les Pas cher tee shirts sont 30-70% de remise et livraison gratuite.wish you have a nice day!:)
Vlasta 15y ago
This is a good project that attempts to add a bit of freedom back to the internet, but the DNS concept is not the right thing for a truly free internet. We need to take it one step further and get rid of domain names entirely, start building on the freenet concept and replace urls with hashes and domains with author signatures.
- JeremyBanks 15y ago
  I am working on a simple system of that sort. I'm not sure I trust myself using crypto, so consider it a proof-of-concept. The system provides key-based domains, and allows sites to update them automatically over http or distribute them through websites. This system can also work alongside ordinary DNS. When it is running, any domain you visit can provide a record and a public key. If the DNS record changes in future but the signed record isn't updated to match, the user continues to use the signed record. The first version is probably going to be an HTTP proxy, but I'd like to make it a browser plugin if I can figure out how (it looked more difficult than I expected). Example Scenario: - I'm running wikileaks.com. I generate a key and upload a signed record with the IP. - Clients visit wikileaks.com and automatically download the record and associate the key with the domain. - Government sizes wikileaks.com domain. - Clients are redirected to wikileaks.com-via-a-long-generated-domain... - Clients are able to visit the site without interruption. - I now register wikileaks.ch, and I use my key to sign an updated record with the new domain. - Clients check wikileaks.ch and associate it with the key, then redirect any requests to wikileaks.com or the-long-generated-domain... to to wikileaks.ch. I will provide a link when it's a little more complete.
known 15y ago
http://wiki.opennicproject.org/ClosestT2Servers http://wiki.opennicproject.org/ClosestT2Servers

102 points by elliottcarlson 15y ago

Other links of interest regarding Namecoin: http://www.bluishcoder.co.nz/2011/05/12/namecoin-a-dns-alternative-based-on-bitcoin.html http://www.bluishcoder.co.nz/2011/05/12/namecoin-a-dns-alter... https://github.com/vinced/namecoin https://github.com/vinced/namecoin http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=6017.0 http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=6017.0

chalst 15y ago
Plus a duplicate HN story that got some discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2586778 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2586778

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

Duff 15y ago

Sweet! Now I can use money that nobody uses to own a domain name that nobody can visit!

kiba 15y ago
The money that nobody uses is also apparently making me rich, for now. Hopefully, it will get even better.
- trotsky 15y ago
  lets leave the ponzi dreams over on your smf
  - mike_esspe 15y ago
    My partner dropped his work to work full time on bitcoin project back in February. I think he was one of the first, who have bitcoins as main income source. Currently bitcoin related projects are an unexplored land of possibilities :)
    - shii 15y ago
      Could you elaborate on what he does and how it all works out? Sounds pretty fascinating, does he use Mt Gox or something else to convert to more recognized fiats? Does he (and you) have a backup plan in case things don't work out as planned with Bitcoin?
      - mike_esspe 15y ago
        Mining pool (http://deepbit.net http://deepbit.net). Yes, mtgox for now, though i hope that in a year or two i will be able to pay my rent with it directly :) Currently the growth is exponential, so it takes time to scale it. For me it's a side project, though it's becoming a large part of my income. If bitcoins fail - no big deal, just move on.
        grondilu 15y ago
        I would definitely not be willing to pay my rent directly in bitcoins. It is much more interesting to pay in silly worthless fiat governmental currency.
        mike_esspe 15y ago
        Currently to pay it i have to convert bitcoins to fiat currency (and lose around 2% in the process). I'd like to be able to skip this part.
    - bhickey 15y ago
      I wonder how the IRS will choose to treat it. If you solve a block, have you made income or realized a capital gain? When you convert BTC into a national currency, what gain have you realized? (Current_price - Price_at_generation)? It seems like a legal minefield.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - cruzer 15y ago
    There have been other attempts to make a currency with computers. However, bitcoin looks to have solved them. No central bank, dont just give them out for free, don't flood the market, Open Source, "Open Source", protect from dubble spending, and have really easy to work with API's. This is why I am behind the project. I totaly agree that any startup is going to be a big risk, but so far bitcoin seems to be taking off. Here is the bitcoin whitepaper which will show you how it works. http://myrelay.net/files/bitcoin.pdf http://myrelay.net/files/bitcoin.pdf Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/technology-psilocybin-bitcoins-gavin-andresen-crypto-currency.html http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0509/technology-psilocybin... ThisWeekinStartups http://thisweekinstartups.com/ http://thisweekinstartups.com/
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - pygy_ 15y ago
    IMO, beside the current highly speculative valuations, the Bitcoin system has an intrinsic value derived from it's architecture. How much it is worth is another story.

rryan 15y ago

I think there is a scaling problem here -- every client in the network has to hold a full copy of the entire block-chain in order to know every host on the .bit TLD or to participate in acquiring and actively renewing one's domains. DNS solves this problem by virtue of its recursive nature. I'm not sure this is suitable for Internet-scale use.

mcav 15y ago
I was wondering the same thing about Bitcoin itself. If Bitcoins took off, wouldn't they run into a scaling issue too?
- Groxx 15y ago
  Essentially, yes. For mining. Transactions don't require you to have the full block chain, you just have to "know" your current balance's info so you can make modifications to it.
- cruzer 15y ago
  This is how it is implemented now. However, it is not needed. The dev's have already said this can and will change when it needs too. Pluss, even now it is only the mining rig's that need the full list. If you just want a wallet to send and receve bitcoin you don't need the whole thing.... Correct me if I am worng. Also, you can use an on-line wallet service to hold your coins and then you don't need anything.
  - rmc 15y ago
    So essentially there is going to be a big change to make BitCoin work better in a while. That sounds like IPv6, new web versions, and OS/browser upgrade head fuck.
    - mburns 15y ago
      No, it is not a change in the protocol. It will be a seamless migration for normal clients to not keep the entire blockchain. This was planned for from day 1.

kiba 15y ago

Technologies have a tendency to escape their niches. Namecoin is jailbreak out of Bitcoin technology's niches.

Yxven 15y ago
I agree completely. If this works, why tie its fate to bitcoin? With various governments deciding they can seize domains, this could be huge.

RyanKearney 15y ago

Set $wgLogo to the URL path to your own logo image. Well this sure was thrown together quickly.

foxfifi 15y ago

Toutes les marque <a href="http://www.tshirtspascher.com/tee-shirt-burberry-c-3.html>Tee http://www.tshirtspascher.com/tee-shirt-burberry-c-3.html&#6... Shirt Burberry</a>sont originales et directement de l usine. Toutes les Pas cher tee shirts sont 30-70% de remise et livraison gratuite.wish you have a nice day!:)

Vlasta 15y ago

This is a good project that attempts to add a bit of freedom back to the internet, but the DNS concept is not the right thing for a truly free internet. We need to take it one step further and get rid of domain names entirely, start building on the freenet concept and replace urls with hashes and domains with author signatures.

JeremyBanks 15y ago
I am working on a simple system of that sort. I'm not sure I trust myself using crypto, so consider it a proof-of-concept. The system provides key-based domains, and allows sites to update them automatically over http or distribute them through websites. This system can also work alongside ordinary DNS. When it is running, any domain you visit can provide a record and a public key. If the DNS record changes in future but the signed record isn't updated to match, the user continues to use the signed record. The first version is probably going to be an HTTP proxy, but I'd like to make it a browser plugin if I can figure out how (it looked more difficult than I expected). Example Scenario: - I'm running wikileaks.com. I generate a key and upload a signed record with the IP. - Clients visit wikileaks.com and automatically download the record and associate the key with the domain. - Government sizes wikileaks.com domain. - Clients are redirected to wikileaks.com-via-a-long-generated-domain... - Clients are able to visit the site without interruption. - I now register wikileaks.ch, and I use my key to sign an updated record with the new domain. - Clients check wikileaks.ch and associate it with the key, then redirect any requests to wikileaks.com or the-long-generated-domain... to to wikileaks.ch. I will provide a link when it's a little more complete.

known 15y ago

http://wiki.opennicproject.org/ClosestT2Servers http://wiki.opennicproject.org/ClosestT2Servers