A Decentralized, Community-Governed Domain Name System on the Blockchain

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a foundational pillar of the internet, yet its centralized nature presents challenges in terms of censorship, control, and cost. The DNS Chain project proposes a decentralized, blockchain-based DNS infrastructure built with the Cosmos SDK and CometBFT. Our system enables open registration and delegation of domain names using a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain, focusing on efficiency by storing only authoritative name server (NS) records on-chain. This approach ensures scalability, interoperability with the traditional DNS, and incentivizes network participation through staking and fee-sharing, all while preserving compatibility with the ICANN-based DNS ecosystem.

To create a more open, resilient, and user-controlled internet by decentralizing domain name registration and management, governed by its community.

The current DNS is largely managed by centralized authorities (e.g., ICANN, commercial registrars). This centralization can lead to:

• Censorship Risks: Domains can be seized or taken down by central authorities.
• Single Points of Failure: Outages or attacks on central registrars can affect many domains.
• Arbitrary Policies & Costs: Users are subject to the policies and pricing decyzji of these entities.
• Domain Squatting & High Fees: Limited TLDs and complex registration processes can inflate costs.

DNS Chain aims to address these limitations by leveraging blockchain technology to create a permissionless and transparent DNS alternative.

The DNS Chain protocol is composed of several key components:

• Blockchain Ledger: A secure and transparent PoS blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK. It maintains an immutable registry of domain ownership and their associated authoritative name server (NS) records.
• Minimal On-Chain Data: To ensure efficiency and scalability, only NS records are stored on-chain. All other DNS record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.) are served by the off-chain authoritative name servers specified in the on-chain NS records.
• PoS Consensus Layer: The network is secured by validators who stake the native token. They are responsible for validating transactions and producing new blocks, earning rewards from transaction fees.
• Hybrid DNS Client (Resolver): Client-side software (e.g., a browser extension, local resolver) designed to query both the dnsblockchain network for decentralized domains and the traditional ICANN DNS for existing TLDs.
• Domain Owner Wallets: Users interact with the blockchain via wallets, allowing them to register, update, transfer, and manage their domains using their private keys.

• Permissionless Registration: Users can register domain names directly on the blockchain by submitting a transaction specifying the domain name, up to 6 NS records, and paying a network fee.
• Heartbeat & Expiry: Domains require an annual "heartbeat" transaction (a small fee to renew) to remain active. Domains not renewed within 365 days expire and become available for re-registration.
• Secure Transfers: Domain ownership can be securely transferred between wallets via signed transactions, with a fee paid to the network.

• Non-Conflicting TLDs: The protocol primarily supports the registration of domains under new, non-ICANN TLDs (e.g., .dweb, .alt, .peer). This ensures no collision with the existing ICANN-rooted DNS.
• ICANN TLD Exclusion: A hardcoded list of existing ICANN TLDs (e.g., .com, .org, .net, ccTLDs) is excluded from direct registration on the blockchain to maintain compatibility and avoid naming conflicts.
• Hybrid Resolution: Client resolvers are designed to first check if a TLD is part of the decentralized system. If not (or if it's an ICANN TLD), resolution falls back to traditional ICANN DNS servers.

• Staking & Fee Distribution: Participants stake the native network token to become validators. All fees from domain registration, updates, and transfers are distributed proportionally to these staked validators, incentivizing network security and participation. Validators must typically run an active node for a minimum period (e.g., 30 days) to become eligible for fee rewards.
• Community Governance: The future evolution of the dnsblockchain protocol, including the admission of new TLDs (beyond an initial set), changes to fee structures, or other protocol parameters, will be managed by an on-chain Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). Token holders will be able to submit proposals and vote on them, ensuring community-driven development.
  • TLD Proposals: A specific cost (parameterized) is associated with submitting a proposal to add a new TLD. If the proposal is rejected, this cost is burned. If accepted, the cost is refunded to the proposer.
  • Proposal Lifecycle: Proposals will have defined submission, deposit, voting, and execution periods.

• Phase 1: Foundation & Core Modules (In Progress/Complete)
  • Design and implementation of the core DNS Chain module for domain registration, NS record management, transfers, and heartbeats.
  • Design and implementation of the basic dao module for proposal submission (initially AddTldProposalContent) and voting.
  • Development of a basic EndBlocker for the DAO to process proposal voting periods and execute (placeholder) actions.
  • TestNet deployment and initial client resolver concepts.
• Phase 2: DAO Enhancement & Staking
  • Full implementation of voting power mechanics (e.g., token-weighted).
  • Implementation of quórum and threshold logic for proposal passing.
  • Full execution logic for AddTldProposalContent and deposit/cost refund/burn.
  • Development and integration of the native staking token and validator reward distribution.
  • Public TestNet launch with validator onboarding.
• Phase 3: Ecosystem & Community Growth
  • Refinement of DAO governance parameters based on community feedback.
  • Development of comprehensive ecosystem tooling: Block Explorer, Wallet Integrations, Dashboards.
  • Security audits.
• Phase 4: Interoperability & Expansion
  • MainNet launch.
  • Exploration and implementation of IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) for cross-chain DNS resolution or TLD sharing.
  • Development of Registrar APIs for easier integration by third-party services.
  • Development of user-friendly mobile DNS clients and browser extensions.

DNS Chain is an open project, and we welcome contributions from developers, DNS experts, security researchers, and anyone passionate about a decentralized internet.

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/DNSChain/dnsblockchain
• Discussions: https://github.com/DNSChain/dnsblockchain/discussions