HNS Handshake Rank #1919

Handshake (HNS) is a decentralized, permissionless naming protocol built on its own blockchain, designed to manage the root DNS naming zone in a peer-to-peer fashion without relying on traditional Certificate Authorities. The project aims to create an alternative to centralized naming infrastructure, where top-level domains and other internet identifiers are currently controlled by a small number of actors vulnerable to hacking, censorship, and corruption. By distributing control among network participants, Handshake seeks to make naming more secure, resilient, and socially useful. The native HNS token functions as the network's unit of value, used for registering and managing names, participating in consensus, and aligning incentives among participants. Handshake operates as a Proof of Work blockchain and falls within the infrastructure and name service categories, with overlaps in smart contract platform functionality. The project is associated with prominent venture capital firms and is developed as a U.S.-based initiative focused on re-decentralizing core internet services.