FAQ

Web23 is a secure DNS platform that allows users to register and tokenize domain names on Hedera Hashgraph; bringing utility and accessibility to both Web2 and Web3 domains. Our smart domains service lets you buy, sell and manage all your domain names in one place.

Our mission is to be the one stop shop for both ICANN Web2 and tokenized Web3 domain name registration and minting. Our vision is to bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3 by providing browser access to decentralized data utility; connecting DNS to DLTs.

A traditional domain name tells a browser where to go, whereas a smart domain tells it what to do. Similar to a smart contract on the blockchain, a smart domain uses the power of the Hedera Hashgraph native layer to bring tokenized functionality to your domain’s URL.

When you mint a smart domain, the DNS web address is instructed to access assigned decentralized data and inform the URL to execute specific tokenized transactions whenever the smart domain address is typed into a web browser. Simple, seamless and secure.

Once a users’ wallet is connected, the Chrome extension application delivers backend APIs and smart contracts to the assigned dApps, SDK, domain name and wallet ID to perform any tokenized transaction. Users provide the smart domain instructions on our product dashboard.

We are initially offering .hbar into the Hedera ecosystem to introduce the concept of tokenized transactions via smart domains. This is just the beginning and we plan to offer many other possibilities and specific options for new domain extensions and subdomains in the future.

The beta platform will allow users to register and purchase traditional domain names, transfer and manage existing Web2 domains you currently own, connect your social media accounts and provide you access to minting and programming tools to mint a tokenized smart domain.

We plan to release proprietary account privacy & security features, social verification tools, and tokenized coupon integrations in the future; with the intention to evolve into a full-fledged DAO, and offer consumers from all chains the ability to mint smart domains through our platform.

You can view our roadmap here.

All of us are transitioning from the older Web2 world to the new evolving Web3’ world, and we want this to exist together. A Web23 subscription for your .hbar smart domain allows you to have a mapping between john.hbar and blog.com if the owner of john.hbar intends to map it with blog.com.

So, with the subscription "on" if a visitor types in ‘john.hbar’ in the address bar of a Google Chrome browser then he is taken to blog.com via the Web23 Chrome Extension (install here). Secondly, if the owner of john.hbar does not have access to blog.com then by default the traffic is taken to a webpage URL provided by Web23. With as low as $10 USD annual fee to be paid in HBAR, anyone can enable this functionality!

Connect your Hedera wallet to our dashboard and you’ll see all your minted smart domains on Web23. In a separate tab you can also view NFT domains purchased from other providers. Choose the domain you’d like to activate a subscription for and select the “Subscribe” option. Approve the transactions in your wallet and you’re done!

Yes! Web23 subscriptions allow domains available on the Hedera DLT to be mapped to any link.

$10 USD in HBAR for one full year.

Web23 subscriptions call for IPFS (decentralized storage) overhead in addition to Web23 maintaining this service ongoing, hence the nominal cost.

Additionally, when updating Web2 resolving addresses for a domain, a small Hedera network fee will be applied.

Our .hbar Smart Domains start at $10 USD (paid in HBAR, yearly renewal) with other add-on features available.

More info can be found in our Dashboard.

Web23 domains will be paid in HBAR to start, with plans to eventually offer payments via credit card. In the future we hope to offer support for additional cryptocurrencies from other chains in the pursuit of full interoperability throughout our platform.

Never. Your domains minted on other platforms cannot be modified in any way.

We differentiate the price of smart domains through a tiered system such as basic or premium domain names, which is not affected by character length. Our pricing is modelled after common practices of Web2 domains, in which rarity or specificity determines the annual cost of a domain name.

In order to prevent squatting, Web3 smart domain NFTs function on an annual renewal process, just like Web2 domain names. If someone is not using a smart domain after it expires, it returns to the registry in order to be renewed and become available for purchase within the ecosystem by someone new.

Domains minted either with the old Token ID or the new Token ID with validities of one year to five years will remain valid for one year to five years, respectively. For domains minted with one year validity – they will not expire till one year + one month to allow the owners to retain them and if the domains are not renewed beyond that duration then they will be put back in circulation for purchases by the community (same applies for domains bought with 1,2,3,4 & 5 year validities).

Early Access NFT Passes give holders 25% off our products and services for 1 year (09/20/2023).

Holders are also granted entry to an exclusive token gated discord community where they can share feedback, insights and report any findings through their use.

We adhere to trademark & copyright laws, and pull the reserved name list from public databases to prevent individuals or organizations from claiming smart domains they do not own the rights to. Domain names will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

The platform has been tested both internally by our team and by community members who participated in our Early Access Program. We’ve also had the opportunity to integrate new unique features based on community feedback, and will continue to make improvements and new interactions to our Beta platform.

Transferring smart domains will function the same as sending regular NFTs from one wallet to another. However, a Web23 smart domain NFT becomes inactive once it leaves the account of a user with an annual subscription to our platform. To activate a Web23 smart domain you’ve received or purchased on the secondary market, simply create an account and link it with a subscription to our service for immediate use and access to our dashboard tools.

Yes, in a decentralized world, competition in the smart domain space is inevitable. We’ve been tasked by The HBAR Foundation with not only providing the community with .hbar domains, but developing and deploying a standardized registry contract infrastructure for name service providers within the Hedera ecosystem to follow.

Web23 has the legacy of DNS, and understands the awkwardness of this scenario and are ready to value the CD formula of “Communicate & Delegate” to work to resolve this. We have written extensive smart contracts & registry contracts that would allow parties to co-exist within the Hedera landscape without the issue of duplicate domains.

Yes, through the Web23 Google Chrome extension, any .hbar domain that’s been mapped on our platform will resolve with the extension installed. Here is the link to download from the Chrome Web Store.