What is the Difference Between Unstoppable Domains and Handshake Domains?
Unstoppable Domains vs. Handshake Domains
As the web3.0 and decentralized web heats up - it is a good time to compare the differences of Unstoppable domains and Handshake domains.** Correction, 12/25: while we can’t edit this video - we want to note in the description, commenters have pointed out - the fee for the .crypto is a one time fee, not a yearly recurring fee. Apologies for the unintentional mixup **
Unstoppable Domains is the owner of 2 handshake domains:
.crypto
.crypto sold for 200,000 HNS in the end of February 2020.
.zil
.zil sold for 2,048 HNS in the end of July 2020.
And Unstoppable Domains, I have learned from them!
And Unstoppable Domains, I have learned from them! They are building amazing products and services in their ecosystem and when you register a domain with them - you pick a .crypto or a .zil domain. If they buy more Handshake domains, then they may add more to their list of domain TLDs you can purchase.
As of the end of Dec 2020 the yearly fee for registering a NON-premium (“normal”) second level domain is:
.crypto
40 USD one time
.zil
20 USD one time
Unstoppable Domain Pros
So look at the Unstoppable domains service as a way for you to own a handshake domain in their ecosystem and pay a one time fee.
They have technology setup to help you receive crypto on the domain and other amazing features worth checking out.
I have to admit, I am not too familiar with Unstoppable domain’s offers as I have not purchased a SLD (second level domain) on their platform.
Compared to Handshake
Now, compared to Handshake domain - a handshake domain if you purchase (either at an auction or on the marketplace) - once you own it - you are the TLD (top level domain). You could even setup a competing service to Unstoppable Domains and sell SLD domains of the TLD you own and setup your own technology (and I hear more open source and platforms are coming).
You could also potentially have your TLD selling SLDs on platforms like gateway.io or Namebase will be having services in the future too I believe.
Comparison Table
How “hands on” do you want to get?
Again, the question is - how “hands on” do you want to get? If you want a simple, done for you solution and your primary goal is a profile page and a way to receive crypto at an easy to remember .crypto domain - Unstoppable Domains seems like a great solution.
If you want to own a TLD and get more technical (although many speculators buying and squatting TLDs now) - you can go on auction or marketplaces - mainly at Namebase.io
Whatever you choose - we at Skyinclude are all for the new decentralized web. We believe it is the future and the sooner you learn it and start adopting, the better advantage you will have.
Check out our other tutorials as well.
Unstoppable Domains vs Handshake Lawsuit
So it has escalated - the launch of Handshake’s .wallet domain sales (that TLD which was in existence on Handshake a year+ before Unstoppable created theirs out of thin air) - has escalated to a lawsuit being filed by Unstoppable Domains company.
Keep in mind - it is a company vs a blockchain.
Well - it is a company to a company - it is Unstoppable Domains vs Gateway Registrar.
Ha
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.79507/gov.uscourts.ded.79507.1.0_1.pdf
So that’s discuss this - as it is important - it is an entire company Unstoppable Domains, Inc (check the footer of their website), a private, venture capital funded company registered in America, suing 1 single registrar company privately owned that is selling domains on a HNS blockchain TLD.
Which sounds more Unstoppable to you?
So now, let’s discuss the case:
As we have been discussing - when our friend for years, Scott, the owner and investor and true owner of the .wallet on the decentralized internet - finally decided to launch .wallet even though his dApp is not ready - he had owned it for 2 years. He went with Gateway the registrar as he wanted to get things rolling and use these domains as usernames on the app he is working on - plus support Gateway after the Namebase/Gateway fiasco months prior.
And it was quite the launch!
So it has gone down the path expected with Unstoppable Domains showing they will take legal actions to try to stop and try to protect their “out of thin air” created TLDs.
Just a fun fact - many more Handshake TLD owners that have conflicting TLDs with Unstoppable’s are planning to launch soon too.
And they may not launch on Gateway. They may launch on Namecheap, they may launch on a forked’ ENS domain platform like Forever Domains has, who knows.
This is the beauty of decentralized communities and networks - and Handshake in general.
But we see Unstoppable’s baseless lawsuit as a last ditch effort to try to scare Gateway and the Handshake community at large from launching sales on TLDs they paid for fair and square on the HNS blockchain - again - before Unstoppable whipped up their extensions out of thin air.
The lawsuit is claiming UD (Unstoppable Domains) owns a trademark on .wallet - but it has been rejected multiple times by the USPTO and yes - UD is still trying to respond to convince USPTO they can own either .wallet or the word wallet in the domain space.
Seems hard to fathom. But how can you place a lawsuit to enforce a trademark you do not yet have ownership approved for by the USPTO? My time as an Amazon seller proves differently - but maybe UD knows something I don’t know?
Another point in the lawsuit - they are requesting a jury trial - not a judge trial. Not sure why, but some of us think it is because they know they would lose against a judge and are hoping they can find a jury wh would support their case.
They state in the lawsuit they have sold $5 million USD worth of .wallet domains (nice job on facebook and tiktok ads!) and that they have users and spent so much money on marketing, and were the first to market. But why does that matter?
In our opinion in various discord, telegram, twitter chats of this global, decentralized community of Handshake supporters and directors - we think it is a last ditch effort by Unstoppable Domains to try to intimidate or scare Gateway into giving in. Or it is just putting up a fight to show its investors and customers it is trying something. Or maybe it is hoping Gateway doesn’t show up in court and that means Unstoppable Domains will automatically win (?). Or maybe it thinks Gateway and the Handshake community at large doesn’t have the funds to fight the case and it can use its treasure chest of VC funds and high margin domain sales to squeeze out Gateway.
So many in the community at Handshake are thinking we need to organize as a group. To pool funds together and to help Gateway to fight this. We have seen many influential leaders stepping up as well - and will keep you posted on how this progresses.
Tweet from NamerTips
A lawsuit has been “filed”. There’s nothing official about a filed lawsuit other than its “status”. NOW is the time to consider all angles and possibilities. This includes any narrative or outcome that would serve the plaintiff(s) or defendant(s).
