diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'memos/WM-074.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | memos/WM-074.txt | 110 |
1 files changed, 110 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/memos/WM-074.txt b/memos/WM-074.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cbf7851 --- /dev/null +++ b/memos/WM-074.txt @@ -0,0 +1,110 @@ + + + + + + + +Document: WM-074 P. Webb +Category: Project 2025.08.21 + + Dap, the Handshake successor + +Abstract + + From the ashes like a phoenix + +Body + + The irony isn't lost on me that four years ago[1] I blogged about the + opportunity I saw for the Handshake community to build a thriving + ecosystem while ICANN twiddles their thumbs doing whatever it is that + they do…and at this time of writing, I've stopped working on + Handshake[2] for a year. No amount of motivational speeches and + presentations will spur people into action unless they have + motivation to do anything. Even just this week I've tried to shake + people out of their WAGMI ("we're all gonna make it") mindset, to no + avail. Oh well. + + I've had this dream[3] of an upgraded online world for most of my + life, which is wild to even think about; I just didn't know how to + get there. When I stumbled upon the Handshake blockchain[4] and it's + mission to democratize the issuance of top‑level domains, it hit me + that I could make that dream a reality. In the early days, it felt + like there was real progress and motion. It was exciting! I was so + focused on my mission that I wasn't able (or, willing) to see cracks + in the foundation. + + Having had some time away from Handshake I am able to objectively see + what went well, what was terrible, and what could be improved. My + fork of Handshake is called, "Dap," another kind of handshake that us + Black guys use. Also, the dap.sh[5] domain was available and that + looks fantastic. + + So how does Dap improve upon Handshake? + + There are no "directors." The Handshake community likes to give that + title to anyone who even holds 1 HNS (their token). Which…sounds cool + and gives people warm and fuzzy feelings of importance but if + everyone's a director, who's building? Currently there's two + businesses and they're both focused on being a custodial wallet and + marketplace; Namebase and Shakestation (better Namebase). Namebase + was there since the beginning of Handshake's launch and got acquired + by Namecheap. It's no secret that most of the team is gone and it's + been hemorraging money. Shakestation is a two‑man operation and might + be breaking even. That's it. Everyone else left, including the guy + who proposed a takeover. + + Aside from Bitcoin, every other successful blockchain has clear + leadership, which makes sense. The Handshake community feels that + because it's a fork of bcoin (and thus a fork of Bitcoin), it should + retain the same leaderless position, completely ignoring the fact + being first is a major advantage that cannot be replicated. + + With Dap, I am the BDFL (benevolent dictator for life). Decisions + should be made, period. As like‑minded people discover Dap and start + building on it or exploring, the leadership team will fill out. + Decentralized purity tests are lame. + + During the testnet, tools and SDKs for developers will be built. + Launching a blockchain for TLDs without giving people tools to + actually **use** said TLDs is nuts. I've open‑sourced the + registrar[6] I was building for Handshake. The one I build for Dap + will be much better but that's just an example of what should be + available at mainnet launch. + + During my research on how to build blockchains better, I learned + about VDF (Verifiable Delay Functions) and VRF (Verifiable Random + Functions). Coupled with Blake3 Proof‑of‑Work, you get 95% energy + reduction versus traditional PoW with excellent security. Do I + understand the first sentence of this paragraph? Absolutely not. I + just know enough code to get things done and if I can build a + successor to Handshake that's also healthier for the environment, I'm + gonna figure it out (I have blockchain friends much smarter than me + and I bug them with my questions all the time). + + Another area where Handshake suffers is the overabundance of + squatters. You will never get rid of squatters, look at Web2 domains. + The aftermarket industry makes billions annually. What I want to do + is make it uncomfortable to squat on TLDs and have that built into + the protocol. + + I'm on version 4 of the whitepaper[7] and I'm pretty satisfied with + it thus far. The only thing I haven't quite figured out is how to + integrate VDF/VRF into my Deno fork of Handshake's + full node software. + + Remember when you were excited to “go online”? + + I never lost that feeling and I truly belive Dap could restore that + in you. 🕸️ + +References + + [1] </WM-052> + [2] <https://blog.neuenet.com/post/devlog-014> + [3] <https://blog.neuenet.com/post/vision> + [4] <https://handshake.org> + [5] <https://dap.sh> + [6] <https://github.com/beachfront-domains> + [7] <https://whitepaper.dap.sh> |