Namebase Transition Update: Provider Choice and Legacy Handshake Domain Recovery

The Namebase transition is still affecting some Handshake domain holders. People who registered second-level domains through Namebase, Namecheap, Porkbun, or another registrar may still see a pending status or may no longer have a clear place to manage a name they already paid for.

There has been real confusion. We now have more clarity about the provider model and a practical recovery route for eligible registrations. This article explains what changed, how SkyInclude Registry and HeadlessDomains fit together, and what affected holders can do now.

Namebase Was Important, but It Was One Provider

Namebase helped many people discover Handshake. It made auctions, names, and second-level domains easier to access through one familiar interface. Its wind-down therefore created a large operational gap.

That gap has taken time to work through. TLD custody, registrar relationships, registry data, active second-level registrations, holder evidence, DNS management, and renewals do not all move through one simple process.

The disruption does not mean Handshake stopped working. It shows the difference between an open protocol and a company that provides an interface to that protocol. I discussed that broader lesson in our earlier update, What Should Handshake TLD Owners Do After Namebase and Namecheap?.

Handshake Gives Namespace Owners Provider Choice

A Handshake TLD owner controls a top-level name such as .c or .ez. A registrant may then hold a second-level name beneath it, such as example.c or example.ez.

Handshake lets the TLD owner choose the infrastructure and providers that support that namespace. The owner can select a registry backend, one or more registrar experiences, DNS services, and other operating tools. The namespace does not have to remain tied forever to the storefront that first sold its second-level domains.

That choice is one of Handshake's strengths. It also creates responsibility. When a namespace moves, earlier registrants need continuity, clear instructions, and protection from having their existing names sold again.

The Roles of SkyInclude Registry and HeadlessDomains

SkyInclude now describes its core service as registry infrastructure for TLDs on traditional DNS and the Handshake alternative root. The registry maintains the domain data and technical rules that registrar systems use.

HeadlessDomains is SkyInclude's first registrar partner. It provides the public search, registration, account, and domain-management experience. HeadlessDomains is operated by Shadstone Limited and uses SkyInclude infrastructure behind the names.

This distinction matters. A registry runs the backend for a namespace. A registrar gives end users a place to search, register, recover, and manage domains. A TLD owner can choose providers for those roles instead of depending on one permanent platform.

During the Namebase transition, we also acquired EZDomains and adapted it into a recovery and registrar path for .ez, .use, .coffees, and .giveaways. We are leaving the exact acquisition and custody-transfer date out of this article until the supporting record is ready for publication.

Which Legacy Domains Can Use the Current Recovery Path?

The intended protected recovery scope covers earlier registrations in ten extensions:

• .c
• .1
• .zen
• .yolo
• .tx
• .hey
• .ez
• .use
• .coffees
• .giveaways

This list reflects the intended recovery coverage. A pending registration in another extension is not automatically covered.

If you previously registered an eligible name, use the recovery route for that existing registration rather than starting a second registration. The route reconnects a legitimate holder with the earlier registration after evidence review. Normal renewal fees and terms still apply after recovery.

How the Protected Recovery Process Works

Start at HeadlessDomains.com/recover. The guide will direct you into the protected claim flow.

1. Enter the complete domain you previously registered, including the extension.
2. Sign in with the GFAVIP account that should manage the domain if the claim succeeds.
3. Select the registrar or platform where you registered the name.
4. Submit the strongest evidence you still have. This can include an account reference, order, receipt, support ticket, migration reference, claim email, or code.
5. Wait for the team to compare your submission with protected registration records and available registrar evidence.

Submitting a claim does not approve, activate, transfer, or renew the domain. Approval records the review decision. Activation is a separate protected step that attaches the domain to the verified holder's account without charging for a duplicate registration. Normal renewal fees and terms still apply after recovery.

After successful activation, the domain becomes available in the holder's HeadlessDomains My Domains area for supported management and renewal actions.

Why Manual Review Is Necessary

A protected registry record can show that an earlier registration should not be offered for ordinary resale. It does not always prove which person currently has the right to claim it.

Evidence also differs by registrar. One holder may have a receipt, while another has an account screenshot, support ticket, or migration code. A code intended for Namebase does not automatically redeem at HeadlessDomains, although it may help the review.

The separation between submission, approval, and activation protects both the historical registrant and the namespace. We want this process to become easier where reliable registrar signals allow it, but correctness matters more than automatic speed.

Keep Private Evidence Private

Never publish a registrar password, wallet seed phrase, private key, API credential, claim code, or unredacted account screenshot. Use the protected form for evidence.

For a public video or screen recording, use a dedicated demo account or a redacted example. Do not open a real customer claim, expose private notes, or activate a live claim merely for the demonstration.

The Wider Lesson for Handshake

This transition has been uncomfortable. It has also made provider choice concrete rather than theoretical.

TLD owners need the freedom to choose infrastructure that still serves their namespace. Registrants need continuity when those choices change. Registries and registrars need clearer migration standards so users do not carry the operational cost of a provider transition.

SkyInclude Registry and HeadlessDomains are part of our answer. They are service layers built around Handshake, not replacements for the open protocol. We remain open to cooperation with earlier registrars and platforms if that can make recovery simpler for holders.

You can also download the presentation version of this update as a PDF to keep or share.

If your earlier registration is in .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, .tx, .hey, .ez, .use, .coffees, or .giveaways, begin with the official HeadlessDomains recovery guide. Bring the complete domain and whatever legitimate registration evidence you have. Use the claim route for the existing registration rather than starting a second registration. Normal renewals still apply after recovery.