The .defi top-level domain is a decentralized root name enabled and created by the Handshake network.

Handshake is a UTXO-based blockchain protocol which manages the registration, renewal and transfer of DNS top-level domains (TLDs). Its purpose is not to replace DNS, but to replace the root zone file and the root servers.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) or Open Finance is a system of decentralized blockchains and smart contracts that provide historically institutional financial services over the web. Imagine a global, open alternative to every financial service you use today — savings, loans, trading, insurance and more — accessible to anyone in the world with a smartphone and internet connection.

Unlike most TLDs, which are regulated and managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Handshake TLDs are managed and assigned by the Handshake blockchain.

While early browser support is still nascent, using tools like HNS.to (or the box above) can convert .defi, along with any other Handshake domain, to a browser-routable format.

No. While we can’t stop you, conventional legal action can be taken by the trademark owner. Trademarks are protected by both federal and state laws, and in case of a legal conflict with a later user, the first commercial user of a trademark owns it.