All About SuiNS
Human-readable identifiers not only dramatically simplify user interactions with blockchains but also provide powerful ownership benefits.
The SuiNS name service lets Sui users own a human-readable identifier and associate it with a Sui account. SuiNS identifiers dramatically simplify how users can specify Sui accounts, creating a significantly better experience.
Unique identifiers have always been valuable in navigating digital spaces. For instance, Wi-Fi networks often have complex, hard-to-remember names. Most internet services allow users to change their network’s name, making it easier to distinguish it from others and add a little personalization.
Whether in Wi-Fi network names, domain extensions, or social media usernames, unique identifiers define and represent entities in the digital realm.
Blockchain name services
In the realm of blockchain technology, users frequently grapple with lengthy and arbitrary strings of numbers and letters when specifying an account. Typing out a blockchain address is highly cumbersome, and when transferring assets, users must meticulously review each character to ensure accuracy. A minor discrepancy could result in irreversible transfer to an entirely different address. Blockchain name services play a vital role in identification and discoverability, mitigating a significant pain point in everyday blockchain transactions.
Name services like SuiNS not only alleviate a burden, but also let users own social usernames. Unlike Web2 name services, which often face issues of censorship and lack of individual ownership, SuiNS provides users with greater control. An illustrative example is when Twitter rebranded to X; the handle @X was forcefully taken from its original owner for use by the platform. Blockchain naming services seek to address such challenges by granting users ownership of their social usernames.
Web2 social usernames remain vulnerable to control by centralized entities, whereas Web3 identifiers are directly owned by individuals. Blockchain name services represent a significant step towards revolutionizing the concept of digital identity.
Sui Name Service - SuiNS
As a name service platform, SuiNS issues identifiers on Sui, like alice.sui. These identifiers can link to a Sui account, directing transactions with alice.sui as the recipient to the associated Sui account. Represented as NFTs, SuiNS identifiers are stored in the user's wallet, ensuring that ownership benefits, granted to Sui objects, also apply to SuiNS identifiers.
The owner of the NFT for the domain name has the authority to configure parameters for the identifier, determining, for instance, which wallet account the identifier directs to. While one account can possess multiple identifiers, only one identifier can point to a specific account at any given time. Additionally, identifiers have the flexibility to point to accounts other than the owning account.
SuiNS allows further personalization by letting users associate an avatar with their names. The avatar is an NFT which, given Sui's support for composable objects, opens up a world of possibilities for users' graphical representations. Along with avatars, SuiNS also supports IPFS web sites. Users can create simple informational pages or complex, dynamic sites.
Given that these identifiers are not able to be reclaimed by a centralized entity, SuiNS assigns them expiration dates at the one year mark. Users may renew their identifiers, holding them indefinitely while keeping the namespace adaptable and dynamic. This approach proves beneficial in cases of lost account access. Following the expiration date, the SuiNS identifier is reclaimed and becomes available for purchase again, contributing to a continuous cycle that reintroduces unrenewed identifiers into the ecosystem.
Unclaimed SuiNS identifiers are priced based on the number of characters: those with five characters or more cost 20 SUI, those with four characters cost 100 SUI, and the most limited group with only three characters are priced at 500 SUI.
Personalizing identity
In a digital space, human-readable names are crucial for easy identification and discovery of entities. In the context of blockchain technology, name services enhance user experience by simplifying complex blockchain addresses into clear and readable identifiers. SuiNS offers identifiers for Sui that extend beyond mere functionality, providing users with genuine ownership akin to any object on Sui. SuiNS enhances the user experience by offering a path for more user-centric and streamlined interactions on Sui.
