Revenue streams
Namebase's services
While Handshake is a non-profit movement, Namebase is a VC-backed for-profit company built on Handshake. Here's how we generate revenue:
Exchange
While you may see other exchanges list HNS, Namebase is the only one fully focused on unlocking Handshake's potential.
Namebase Consumer Exchange can be used to purchase HNS with BTC or USD. We charge a 5% exchange fee for providing this liquidity and aim to price HNS with a spread of 1-3% depending on market conditions.
A common confusion with HNS pricing is when there's a noticeable (10%+) difference between the spot price and the settlement price, which is mostly slippage and not spread. Our home page shows the spot price (when you look up the price of any coin, you’re always shown the spot price), but the actual buy/sell price will differ based on the live offers on the order book. Liquid markets like BTC have deep order books, so the spot price will be close to the price you get for standard order sizes. HNS is generally less liquid, so there’s more slippage. The price changes the more you buy, because there's not an unlimited amount of HNS to buy at the spot price. The best way to avoid slippage is to split up each order into smaller orders and spread them out so the market can adjust between trades. For example, instead of placing one $100k order you may want to place ten $10k purchases spread out over a couple days.
Namebase Pro
Namebase Pro can be used trade HNS for BTC using a traditional order book exchange similar to Binance and Coinbase Pro. (0% maker fee and 2% taker fee).
Due to cryptocurrency regulations, Namers within the USA are currently unable to access Namebase Pro.
Blockchain Transactions
Namebase charges a small transactional fee (approximately 1 HNS) when interacting with the Handshake blockchain to cover mining fees and operational costs.
Mining Fees
Mining fees are paid to the miners who add your transactions to the Handshake blockchain, and do not get paid to Namebase.
Bidding
Namebase's bidding service makes it possible for anyone to participate in Handshake name auctions without needing to be a developer. We do not currently charge any additional transactional fees for our bidding services.
Renewals
Please see this Domain Renewals support document for the latest info about Renewal Fees.
Marketplace
The Namebase Marketplace makes it easy to sell or purchase owned Handshake names. We charge a 10% commission fee to sellers that is only collected when your name successfully sells.
Namebase Registry
The Namebase Registry is a service that enables you to sell 2nd-level domains on your Handshake TLD. We created an EPP-based registry platform that is compatible with all existing domain registrars, making it easy to plug directly into their existing distribution channels. We essentially handle all of the logistics regarding the sale of your domains, while you just handle the actual pricing of your domains and your marketing. The Namebase Registry charges only $1 per registration year for SLDs while the rest of the proceeds go directly to the TLD owner.
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