Shakestats X blockdomains/ IDN Auction
Read profiles of the 12 domains included in the event, including comparable sales and additional market analysis.
There are less than 24 hours remaining until the start of the Shakestats X blockdomains/ IDN auction. Fortunately, there is still time to register and rehypothecate your tax reserve into additional $HNS liquidity for bidding π. The organizers are thrilled with the quality of top-level domains submitted and the enthusiasm that the Handshake community has expressed for this event.
The 12 names that will be auctioned are summarized below, followed by a brief profile of each. Β
xn--0m4a/ (ι) β Translated from Chinese as li, a unit of measurement for distance, this TLD is the most widely used of any in the auction as measured by quoted Google search results (3.02 billion). Also referred to as the βChinese mile,β the length of the li has varied over time, but is now standardized as one half of a kilometer. The character for li combines the two characters for field and earth, since the li was historically considered to be about the length of one village. This TLD has exceptional potential for a variety of end-user sectors including shipping & logistics, navigation, and personal fitness. Handshake TLD mile/ sold at auction for 301 HNS in March of 2020; the domain is not known to have been listed on the secondary market since initial acquisition, but would be expected to challenge the all-time top 10 list if sold today. kilometer/ is currently listed for 3,500 HNS, which strikes the author as quite the steal.
xn--tq4a/ (ι) β Representing one of the most valuable precious metals on earth, this domain consisting of the Chinese character for platinum is likely to be a popular auction lot. As the second-rarest precious metal besides rhodium, platinum is dense, malleable and non-corrosive. The $6 billion (USD) global market for platinum is expected to experience continued growth as one of its dominant applications, catalytic converters, which reduce pollutant emissions from vehicles, are even more widely demanded in response to an increasing policy emphasis on carbon footprint reduction worldwide.
xn--74qv82b/ (ζε ) β This TLD represents the Chinese translation of poker, a family of card games in which players wager over which hand of dealt cards is best. Like most forms of gambling besides the state-run lottery, poker in most of its forms is illegal in mainland China. Despite that, poker has increased in popularity and is widely played informally, in illegal casinos and online. poker/ is a reserved TLD in the Handshake protocol. This domain combines a high-value economic sector with a viable use case for censorship resistance. The full net proceeds of this domain will be donated to the HNS Development Fund.
xn--4ca/ (Γ€) β This single-character, 1L domain is a character that represents the letter βaβ in several variants of the Latin alphabet, as well as the letter βaβ with an umlaut mark. Even the most casual observers of the Handshake ecosystem (and domaining more broadly) will have observed the keen interest in 1Ls from investors and end-users. Notably, the top secondary sale completed via Namebase is p/, which was purchased by Namecheap for 375,000 HNS. Of the top ten auctions all time by price paid, 1Ls hold six spots with acquisition prices ranging from 130,000 to 311,000 HNS. In addition, 8/, a non-1L single-character TLD, sold at auction for 180,005 HNS.
xn--iv5b/ (μ) β As the first Korean-language domain of the event, this TLD translating to well is likely to attract significant bidding due to its widespread existing usage (427 million quoted Google search results) and positive connotations. Especially with its position right-of-the-dot, this TLD lends itself well to domain hacks for any subdomain registrant seeking to convey quality and excellence. μ is the 120th most frequently used Korean word according to lexiteria.com.
xn--y3cry/ (ΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ‘) β This domain, translating to the written form of three, is the sole Thai-language TLD featured in this auction. Of the English-language translations of written numbers, four of the first nine (including three/) are reserved under the Handshake protocol; all those unreserved have been claimed, with four/ achieving a 2,500 HNS sale in January 2021. Thai is spoken by approximately 50 million people worldwide and ΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ produces 113 million quoted Google search results.
xn--mgbee8hgy/ (Ψ«Ω Ψ§ΩΩΨ©) β The first Arabic-language domain of the event is another written numeral, in this case translating to eight. Eight is a significant and/or lucky number in numerous cultures, and the numeric, Latin version commanded the fifth-highest Handshake auction price paid to date. In Islam, eight is the number of angels carrying the throne of Allah in heaven, as well as the number of gates in heaven, underscoring the relevance of the word in Arabic.
xn--mgb9a8al/ (ΨΉΨ§ΩΩ) β The second Arabic TLD of the evening carries a regal pedigree as one form of the word king in that language, which is used by approximately 420 speakers worldwide. king/ is a reserved TLD under the Handshake protocol, as are queen/ and princess/. One of only two Handshake IDNs to have sold at a live auction before, Ψ―ΩΩΨ§Ψ±, which sold for 4,000 HNS at HandyCon, is the Arabic word for the currency dinar.
xn--j1bd/ (ΰ€ ΰ€) β Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with certain estimates placing the number of speakers at over 600 million. This domain, the only Hindi-language offering of the event, is another single-character 1L. ΰ€ ΰ€ is the 13th vowel in the Hindi alphabet. Hindi domains have increased in investor popularity as of late based on anecdotal observations on Discord and other digital gathering spots, and the organizers expect many more Hindi submissions and auction lots in any future event of this type.
xn--eckl3qmbc/ (γͺγ³γ©γ€γ³) β Given the high volume of great submissions across the board, there was only space for one Japanese-language domain in this event, and it is a headliner. Translated to online in English, this word is widely used (1.16 billion quoted Google search results) befitting Japanβs status as a nation with a high internet penetration rate. Imagination and the degree of ultimate Handshake adoption would seem to be the only limiting factors associated with this TLD, applications for which could span any and all form of digital activity. online/ is reserved in the Handshake protocol.
xn--e1adnd0h/ (Π·Π΅ΠΌΠ»Ρ) β Ensuring that this event addressed three-quarters of the BRIC nations, this TLD is a Russian-language gem with global implications. Translated as earth in English, potential applications for this domain are wide-ranging and likely to resonate with Russian speakers given high usage of the word (86 million quoted Google search results). Russian is one of the top ten most widely used languages on the internet, and the current record sale for a Handshake IDN is held by ΡΠΎΡΡΠΈΡ, which translates to Russia and which traded for 27,000 HNS in June 2021.
xn--9i2br6o/ (μ¬λ) β The final TLD of the event is the Korean word for love. A savvy bidder was able to purchase this domain at auction for 5 HNS in June 2020. Given the inherent significance of this word, its wide usage (322 million quoted search results) and perceived growth potential in Korean dating apps and related services & products, this domain is believed to have appreciated significantly since the time of original acquisition (whoever said βlove donβt cost a thingβ must not have known about Handshake!) love/ is reserved in the Handshake protocol, amor/ (love in Spanish) sold for 13,000 HNS in March 2021 and η± sold for 3,035 HNS at auction in the very early days of Handshake, February 2020. The Korean language is spoken by more than 75 million people worldwide, of whom 48 million live in South Korea.
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HNS: blockdomains/
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DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURE
This commentary is not intended to be investment advice. Please consult appropriate investment, financial planning, legal and tax professionals prior to making any investment decisions. The author owns, has sold and acquired, and may sell and/or acquire in the future various Handshake TLDs, including IDN TLDs in addition to those disclosed in this post. All translations are believed to be accurate but have not been verified by a professional translator.