Documentation

QNS in a nutshell

QNS gives a wallet a renewable .quai name. A name can carry a profile, a payment code, and an avatar — and with modules, it can resolve to a real website read straight from the chain.

Two layers

QNS is built in two parts. You can use the first without ever touching the second.

  • The name registry (QNNS). Register a .quai name, bind it to your wallet, and point it at an address, a Qi payment code, an avatar, and social profiles. The live registry uses one-year terms with a 30-day grace period.
  • The module loader. Optionally attach a module to your name so it resolves to a website, a redirect, or an app — rendered from on-chain data, not a hosting provider.

Domain pricing

QNS domains are renewable for one year at a time. The deployed mainnet registry uses a one-time registration or auction payment, a refundable lock deposit, and a yearly renewal fee. Gas is separate and changes with network conditions.

7+ characters

Instant claim

Pay a 200 QUAI registration fee, a 100 QUAI refundable lock, and the first-year renewal fee.

Typical first year: 360.29525 QUAI + gas

4-6 characters

Auction

Starts at a 1,000 QUAI auction floor. The winner also pays the refundable lock and first-year renewal fee.

5-6 yearly: 60.29525 QUAI · 4 yearly: 2,409.025 QUAI

1-3 characters

Premium auction

Starts at a 5,000 QUAI auction floor. The winner also pays the refundable lock and first-year renewal fee.

Yearly: 12,045.125 QUAI

The 100 QUAI lock is held with the domain and can be returned when the name is released. Renewal prices are stored in Qi-denominated tiers and converted by the contract using the deployed `quaiPerQi` rate. Current deployed rate: 1 Qi = 13.925 QUAI.
  • Names are active for one year and have a 30-day grace period after expiry.
  • Renewals can be paid directly in QUAI, or from the lock deposit when the lock has enough balance.
  • Short-name auctions run for 24 hours, and bids near the end extend the auction window.

What is a module?

A module is the answer to “what should this name load?” Your name resolves to a tiny on-chain pointer called an anchor; the anchor points to a module contract; the module tells a wallet or gateway how to render the page. The bytes live on Quai, so the site has no server to go down.

Where to go next

How modules work →

Anchors, manifests, the loader, and the topologies a name can resolve to.

Deploy a module →

Publish a fully on-chain static site and bind it to your name from the CLI.

Module inspector →

Paste a name or address and see exactly what it loads on-chain.