What is the Bitcoin Name System (BNS)?
BNS is a decentralized equivalent to the traditional Domain Name System (DNS) built on the Stacks Network, which is a smart contract layer for Bitcoin.
BNS makes it possible for users to register .btc names (as well as other extensions like .id) and use them as an alias for a Bitcoin address, Stacks address, or Lightning Network address–making crypto addresses readable and simplifying the process of transacting and navigating on the Bitcoin ecosystem. These names can also be used as personal identities to log into applications such as the NFT platform, gamma.io.
Additionally, they can be redirected to .com or other traditional domain names using the web bridge on the .btc registrar, btc.us.
BNS vs. DNS
Custody & Governance
From a technical perspective, a BNS name is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) on the Stacks Network. You own it and have complete custody. No governing body can take it from you. That is because the rules of BNS–including name registration costs and durations–are not set by a governing body like ICANN does for DNS. Rather, BNS is governed by code–a smart contract deployed to the Stacks network (here).
Side note: It currently costs 2 STX (~$0.50 USD) to register a .btc name and the registration lasts for about 5 years. Typical domain names have 1 year registration periods, with renewal fees varying greatly.
Relative Market Size
In terms of market size: while BNS names are making the Bitcoin ecosystem more user-friendly, they are still young with about 175,000 name registrations compared to several million for .eth / the Ethereum Naming System and several hundred million registrations for traditional domain names.
So, there’s a long way to go before BNS / .btc names are commonly used within the crypto ecosystem–to say nothing of the broader world.
Whether this technology thrives or dies, it’s safe to say that we’re in the early days.
Name Resolution
Another big difference between BNS / .btc names and top-level domains (TLDs) such as .com, .org, and .net is name resolution. For example, if you type a .btc domain name into a standard web browser and attempt to navigate to a site, it will not work…yet.
Blockchain-based names like .btc could be integrated into web browsers like Chrome and Firefox eventually. But for now, Brave Browser is the only one that has started that process (with .eth and .crypto so far):
We currently support .eth and .crypto top-level domains (TLDs) through ENS and our Unstoppable Domains integration, respectively, and we are in active conversations with other crypto-DNS providers to integrate their solutions within Brave.
Brave Browser Team
What can I use a .btc name for right now?
Most of the applications that have integrated .btc names so far are primarily based on the Stacks Network, including NFT Marketplace gamma.io, Hiro Wallet, and Xverse Wallet. But as Stacks and other Bitcoin ecosystem developers work to integrate Bitcoin and Stacks more, this will expand greatly.
There are a few key use-cases, which we will likely see expanded further to the Bitcoin ecosystem:
1. Seamless crypto payments
Long, complex addresses have been an issue for crypto users since Bitcoin’s inception. One small typo in an address has the potential to lose millions of dollars. And keeping track of addresses + copy/pasting constantly can be a pain. This is a very clear use-case for blockchain-based names such as BNS / .btc. So, these names have already been integrated by several wallet applications:

2. Owning your web3 identity
Across games, NFT marketplaces, chat apps, etc., BNS / .btc names are being integrated as decentralized identifiers (DIDs) that make it simple for users to login, find other users, interact, and keep track of each other.

3. Redirecting to a traditional TLD
.btc domain names can be redirected to traditional domains using the web bridge at btc.us (see How to bridge a .btc name to a website).

You simply have to input a web address and sign a transaction with a small fee.
How to buy a .btc domain name
- Download the Hiro Wallet browser extension, setup a wallet
- Check if the name is available on the registrar, btc.us
- If the name is available:
- Fund your wallet with at least 3 STX using Coinbase or another exchange
- Go to btc.us and login with the Hiro Wallet
- Send a pre-order and registration transaction as directed
- Once the transactions clear, it’s yours!
- For more comprehensive instructions, read How to Register a .btc Name
- If the name is already taken:
- Go to gamma.io/nameyouwant.btc
- If it’s listed for sale, you can login, fund your wallet with Coinbase, and buy the name outright
- If not or you want to negotiate, you can fund your wallet and make an offer.
- Users will sometimes have their Twitter username on their gamma.io profile, where you can contact them directly to negotiate.
- Once you reach an agreement, send them an offer on gamma.io. If they accept, the transfer will begin.
- Once the transactions clear, it’s yours!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A .btc name registration lasts for 5 years, with a 1-month grace period after expiration.
As of March 2023, it costs 2 STX or about $2 USD plus transaction fees–generally less than $0.05 USD–to register a .btc name on the Stacks Network.
Many Twitter users who own .btc names on the Stacks Network change their names to their .btc name to show their affiliation and/or support for Bitcoin and the Stacks Network.
The highest-known sale of a .btc name on the Stacks Network was wallet.btc for 30,000 STX on Feb 17, 2023 ($9664.93 USD at the time)