2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
<!doctype html>
< html lang = "en" >
< head >
< meta charset = "utf-8" >
< meta name = "viewport" content = "width=device-width, initial-scale=1" >
< title > Sirius — names on the Bitcoin Cash chain — Silent Mode< / title >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< meta name = "description" content = "Sirius is Silent Mode's naming registry: BNS1 domain names anchored by CashTokens certificates on Bitcoin Cash, records in OP_RETURN, discovery via a public beacon. No registrar, no ICANN, no DNS root — resolvers read the chain directly." >
2026-09-07 23:01:57 +02:00
< meta property = "og:type" content = "website" >
< meta property = "og:site_name" content = "Silent Mode" >
< meta property = "og:title" content = "Sirius — names on the Bitcoin Cash chain — Silent Mode" >
< meta property = "og:description" content = "Sirius is Silent Mode's naming registry: BNS1 domain names anchored by CashTokens certificates on Bitcoin Cash, records in OP_RETURN, discovery via a public beacon. No registrar, no ICANN, no DNS root — resolvers read the chain directly." >
< meta property = "og:url" content = "https://silentmode.st/sirius/" >
< meta property = "og:image" content = "https://silentmode.st/brand/og.png" >
< meta property = "og:image:width" content = "1200" >
< meta property = "og:image:height" content = "630" >
< meta name = "twitter:card" content = "summary_large_image" >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< link rel = "stylesheet" href = "../shared.css" >
site: add favicon link to every silentmode.st HTML page
Bulk-inserts <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg"> before
the </head> tag on every silentmode.st page that was missing it. All 36 site
HTML pages now advertise the chain-links favicon; browsers show it in tabs
and bookmarks across the whole umbrella site.
Pages touched (29): apps/, choose/*, deviant/* (7 pages under the parent
house), hephaestus/, hephaestus.x/* (9 chain-published mirror pages),
nav/ (redirect stub), register.html (redirect stub), sirius/,
sirius/register.html, store/ (redirect stub), tlds/.
Already had favicon from earlier passes (7): index.html, brand/,
tools/, prometheus/, helios/, hermes/, releases/.
Line-ending preservation: choose/index.html and sirius/register.html were
originally stored with CRLF endings; the plain Python read/write path
normalized them to LF and produced a noisy diff. Both files re-serialized as
CRLF before the favicon insert to keep the diff to +1 line each.
Deploy: rsync-equivalent tar-pipe to /opt/silent-mode/site/, plus per-file scp
for the two CRLF-corrected files. Verified live: 7 spot-checked URLs each
report exactly one <link rel="icon"> in served HTML.
2026-08-31 21:43:25 +02:00
< link rel = "icon" type = "image/svg+xml" href = "/favicon.svg" >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / head >
< body >
< nav class = "topnav" >
2026-09-07 23:01:57 +02:00
< a class = "brand" href = "../" > < svg class = "logo" viewBox = "0 0 32 20" aria-hidden = "true" > < rect class = "l1" x = "1.5" y = "3.5" width = "17" height = "13" rx = "6.5" ry = "6.5" fill = "none" stroke-width = "2.6" / > < rect class = "l2" x = "13.5" y = "3.5" width = "17" height = "13" rx = "6.5" ry = "6.5" fill = "none" stroke-width = "2.6" / > < / svg > Silent < span class = "g" > Mode< / span > < / a >
2026-08-31 04:16:42 +02:00
< a href = "../tools/" > Theseus< / a >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< a href = "../prometheus/" > Prometheus< / a >
< a href = "./" class = "here" > Sirius< / a >
2026-08-31 04:06:28 +02:00
< a href = "../hephaestus/" > Hephaestus< / a >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< a href = "../helios/" > Helios< / a >
< a href = "../hermes/" > Hermes< / a >
< / nav >
< header class = "hero" >
< div class = "mark" style = "font-size:52px" > ⭐< / div >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< h1 > < span class = "g" > Sirius< / span > < / h1 >
< p class = "tag" > Home for decentralized domain names on the Bitcoin Cash chain. Names
that live as < b > CashTokens certificates< / b > in a wallet you control, discovered
through a public < b > beacon address< / b > any electrum server can read. No registrar,
no ICANN, no DNS root — resolvers read the chain directly. Named for the
brightest star: a fixed reference everyone sees the same way.< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< div class = "cta" >
< a class = "btn acid" href = "register.html" > Search a name< / a >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< a class = "btn ghost" href = "#how" > How BNS1 works< / a >
< a class = "btn ghost" href = "#tlds" > Live TLDs< / a >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / div >
< / header >
< div class = "wrap" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
<!-- ============ THE PROTOCOL IN THREE PARTS ============ -->
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< section class = "plain" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< h2 > BNS1 — the protocol in three parts< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > A minimal Namecoin-style name protocol on Bitcoin Cash. No fork, no
sidechain, no new blockchain — three ordinary mechanisms of BCH doing three
different jobs.< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< div class = "grid" >
< div class = "card" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< span class = "pill p-live" > ownership< / span >
< h3 > CashTokens certificate< / h3 >
< p > An immutable NFT whose commitment is the UTF-8 name. Whoever holds the
certificate owns the name. Consensus guarantees nobody can mint another
output in the same category without spending it.< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< span class = "pill p-live" > data< / span >
< h3 > OP_RETURN payload< / h3 >
< p > A tiny JSON payload prefixed < code class = "inline" > BNS1< / code > — the name's
records (URL, inline HTML page, IPv4, cashaddr, Sia bucket, TLS
fingerprint). Total budget: < b > ≤ 200 bytes< / b > .< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< span class = "pill p-live" > discovery< / span >
< h3 > Beacon dust output< / h3 >
< p > Every protocol transaction pays < code class = "inline" > 600 sat< / code > to a
well-known beacon address. Calling < code class = "inline" > get_history< / code >
on that address enumerates every registration and update ever made — no
indexer to trust, no server between you and the answer.< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / div >
< / div >
< / section >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
<!-- ============ RECORDS ============ -->
< section id = "records" >
< h2 > What you can attach to a name< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > Seven record types cover the space between "point at any URL" and
"the whole website lives in this transaction". Records travel in the same
< code class = "inline" > OP_RETURN< / code > as the name itself; the total payload stays
inside 200 bytes.< / p >
< table >
< tr > < th > Record< / th > < th > What it holds< / th > < th > Used for< / th > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > u< / code > < / td > < td > An HTTPS URL< / td >
< td > Redirect the name at any existing site< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > h< / code > < / td > < td > Inline HTML< / td >
< td > A tiny website served entirely from the transaction — no host, anywhere< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > a< / code > < / td > < td > A cashaddr< / td >
< td > Payments — the "send to < code class = "inline" > alice.bch< / code > " use case< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > ip< / code > < / td > < td > IPv4 address< / td >
< td > Point DNS directly at a server you run for the name< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > p< / code > < / td > < td > An upstream URL< / td >
< td > Reverse-proxy an existing site — address bar stays on the BNS name< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > s3< / code > < / td > < td > < code > bucket/key< / code > or < code > bucket/prefix/< / code > < / td >
< td > A full multi-file site on the Sia storage network< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > tls< / code > < / td > < td > SHA-256 of the DER certificate< / td >
< td > Pin your server's TLS cert so nobody can MITM the connection< / td > < / tr >
< / table >
< / section >
<!-- ============ HOW REGISTRATION WORKS ============ -->
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< section id = "how" >
< h2 > How registration works< / h2 >
< ol class = "steps" >
< li > < b > Pick a name.< / b >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< span > Labels: < code class = "inline" > [a-z0-9-]{1,32}< / code > . Any TLD you like —
the chain decides what exists, not a committee. Search availability on the
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< a href = "register.html" > registration page< / a > .< / span > < / li >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< li > < b > Mint the certificate (a REG transaction).< / b >
< span > One BCH transaction simultaneously mints an immutable CashTokens
certificate whose commitment is your name, publishes the records as a
< code class = "inline" > BNS1< / code > -prefixed OP_RETURN, and pays 600 sat to the
beacon so every resolver can find it. First valid < code class = "inline" > REG< / code >
wins.< / span > < / li >
< li > < b > Update records at any time (a UPD transaction).< / b >
< span > A signed transaction that spends and returns your certificate to
yourself, carrying the new records. Only the certificate holder can do this,
because a vout in a name's category is only possible if a vin held it.< / span > < / li >
< li > < b > Transfer by sending the certificate.< / b >
< span > Sending the certificate to another wallet transfers the name. No beacon
transaction needed — the certificate < i > is< / i > the ownership token.< / span > < / li >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / ol >
< div class = "cta" style = "justify-content:flex-start;margin-top:1.6rem" >
< a class = "btn acid" href = "register.html" > Start with a name search< / a >
< / div >
< / section >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
<!-- ============ WALLETS ============ -->
< section id = "wallets" >
< h2 > Wallets that can register a name< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > Registration is a normal Bitcoin Cash transaction shape with a small
protocol twist: the certificate's identity is derived from the outpoint spent at
input 0, so the buyer must choose the coin, not the wallet. Any wallet that can
build a transaction to that spec works.< / p >
< div class = "grid" >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-live" > works today< / span >
< h3 > Built-in browser wallet< / h3 >
< p > Generated in your browser, seed encrypted with PBKDF2 → AES-GCM in
< code class = "inline" > localStorage< / code > , never transmitted. The registration
page can search, quote, sign and broadcast in one flow. Self-custody
throughout — the registrar never touches the certificate.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-live" > works today< / span >
< h3 > WizardConnect < span class = "src s-tor" > LGPL< / span > < / h3 >
< p > Pairs the registration page with an external wallet over NIP-17 gift-wrap
messages — pass-through signing, so the dApp builds the exact transaction
and the wallet's key just signs. Currently: < b > Cashonize v0.9+< / b > on
chipnet.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-designed" > deferred< / span >
< h3 > CashConnect< / h3 >
< p > Wallet-orchestrated, not pass-through — the wallet auto-selects UTXOs. That
collides with the genesis-input rule that fixes the certificate's identity
to a specific coin. May return once its < code class = "inline" > bch_executeAction< / code >
model ships.< / p >
< / div >
< / div >
< div class = "note" > < b > Self-custody by construction.< / b > The certificate lands at the
buyer's own address in the same transaction as the fee payment, so the registrar
never < i > holds< / i > the name. The acceptance test explicitly checks that no
certificate exists at the fee address after each registration.< / div >
< / section >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
<!-- ============ TLDS ============ -->
< section id = "tlds" >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< h2 > TLDs live on chipnet today< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > BNS on BCH is deliberately TLD-agnostic — the rightmost label is
the registry. There is no pre-existing root; the first registration under a new
suffix is what makes that TLD exist. Below is the working set as of today.< / p >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< table >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< tr > < th > TLD< / th > < th > Note< / th > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > .bch< / code > < / td > < td > The original TLD; bare on-chain names default to it< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > .p2p< / code > < / td > < td > Peer-to-peer software and services< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > .deviant< / code > < / td > < td > The Deviant division's namespace (Silent Mode's parent house)< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > .bit< / code > < / td > < td > Namecoin's legacy TLD, brought under BNS< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / table >
< div class = "note" > < b > New TLDs.< / b > Because there is no root registry to negotiate
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
with, a new TLD is simply the first registration under a new suffix. Silent Mode's
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
resolver clients will mint TLS certificates only for TLDs on a configured list
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
(the local CA is name-constrained) — adding a TLD to that trust list is a
resolver config change, not a chain change.< / div >
< / section >
<!-- ============ LIVE NAMES ============ -->
< section id = "live" >
< h2 > Live names on chipnet< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > These are actually registered on chipnet, right now, resolving
through the relay and every Silent Mode client. Each demonstrates one record type
from the list above.< / p >
< table >
< tr > < th > Name< / th > < th > Backing record< / th > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/hello.bch" > < code > hello.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-chain" > h< / span > — a page inside the transaction itself< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/silentmode.bch" > < code > silentmode.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-chain" > h< / span > — this project's own on-chain demo< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/coinspectrum.bch" > < code > coinspectrum.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-srv" > ip · p · tls< / span > — a full site on an ordinary server, pinned by TLS fingerprint< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/coinspectrum.deviant.bch" > < code > coinspectrum.deviant.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-sia" > s3< / span > — a full multi-file site on the Sia storage network< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/siatest.bch" > < code > siatest.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-sia" > s3< / span > — earlier Sia test< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/argo.bch" > < code > argo.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-chain" > h< / span > — the future hosting-pact brand< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/theseus.bch" > < code > theseus.bch< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > < span class = "src s-chain" > h< / span > — the browser's brand page< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < a href = "https://navigate.st/bns/demo.p2p" > < code > demo.p2p< / code > < / a > < / td >
< td > Multi-TLD proof — same chain, different rightmost label< / td > < / tr >
< / table >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / section >
<!-- ============ VS ICANN ============ -->
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< section id = "vs" >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< h2 > Sirius vs an ordinary registrar< / h2 >
< table >
< tr > < th > What you get< / th > < th > Ordinary registrar< / th > < th > Sirius< / th > < / tr >
< tr > < td > How ownership is proven< / td >
< td > A row in the registry's database< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > A CashTokens NFT in your wallet< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< tr > < td > Who can revoke it< / td >
< td > The registrar, the registry, ICANN, a court order to any of them< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > Nobody — the certificate is an immutable NFT< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< tr > < td > Renewal< / td >
< td > Yearly — miss it and the name is auctioned< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > Never on chipnet BNS1; mainnet BNS2 will have a lifecycle (below)< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > Cost per registration< / td >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< td > $8 – < / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > Chipnet: worthless test coins. Mainnet BNS2 target: ~$10– & renew< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< tr > < td > Identity required< / td >
< td > Email, sometimes phone, sometimes address, always payment method< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > A wallet — no email, no phone, no card, no KYC< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< tr > < td > DNS resolution< / td >
< td > ICANN → TLD registry → registrar's nameservers → you< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > Any electrum server reads the chain; your resolver does the rest< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< tr > < td > Web presence< / td >
< td > Depends on a hosting provider that can suspend you< / td >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< td > Point < code > h< / code > at inline HTML, < code > s3< / code > at Sia, or < code > ip< / code > /< code > p< / code > at any server you run< / td > < / tr >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / table >
< / section >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
<!-- ============ COMING NEXT — BNS2 ============ -->
< section id = "bns2" >
< h2 > Coming next — BNS2 & the covenant registry< / h2 >
< p class = "lede" > BNS1 is the chipnet prototype. The mainnet version, BNS2, adds two
consensus-enforced pieces the prototype leaves as indexer policy. Both are
designed on paper — the specs live in
< code class = "inline" > Decentralized.DNS/< / code > — and both wait on the mainnet cutover.< / p >
< div class = "grid" >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-designed" > designed< / span >
< h3 > Covenant-run registry< / h3 >
< p > Certificates live in a CashScript covenant that enforces one certificate per
name at consensus, not by indexer agreement. Same covenant enforces a
lifecycle: ACTIVE → (6–
during IDLE is 50– ×
period is real: a takeover only ever happens when the owner is genuinely gone.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-designed" > designed< / span >
< h3 > Commit– < code > CMT< / code > op)< / h3 >
< p > A front-running defence. Publish a hash of your name first (with a 16-byte
salt), reveal the name later; the reveal that points at the oldest valid
commit wins. An attacker who sees the reveal cannot produce an older commit,
because blocks are already written.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< span class = "pill p-designed" > designed< / span >
< h3 > Trustless purchase< / h3 >
< p > Scan-to-sign registration for airgapped SPV wallets: the site builds an
unsigned transaction, the wallet signs it on a separate device via QR, the
buyer broadcasts. No relay, no connector, no third party at any point.< / p >
< / div >
< / div >
< div class = "note warn" > < b > Why lifecycle matters — the Namecoin lesson.< / b > A study
of Namecoin found ~120,000 < code class = "inline" > .bit< / code > names registered and
< b > 28< / b > in actual use. Names live forever mean the interesting ones get
squatted forever. BNS2's covenant expiry is the design that avoids that trap
without ever letting an active owner lose a name they still use.< / div >
< / section >
<!-- ============ HONEST LIMITS ============ -->
< section id = "limits" >
< h2 > Honest limitations of the current chipnet build< / h2 >
< div class = "grid" >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > Uniqueness is indexer policy< / h3 >
< p > BNS1 depends on resolvers agreeing that "first valid < code class = "inline" > REG< / code >
wins". Consensus does not enforce it yet — that is what the covenant registry
above adds for mainnet.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > No front-running defence yet< / h3 >
< p > An observer of the mempool can copy your < code class = "inline" > REG< / code > and
race it. Does not matter on chipnet; matters the instant names have value.
The commit-reveal spec above is written; not implemented on chipnet.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > Names live forever (for now)< / h3 >
< p > BNS1 has no expiry. The covenant registry adds the ACTIVE → IDLE → OPEN
lifecycle; BNS1 keeps it flat because the mistake cost on chipnet is zero.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > Records ≤ 200 bytes< / h3 >
< p > The whole payload including < code class = "inline" > BNS1< / code > prefix and JSON
fits in one OP_RETURN. Enough for URLs, cashaddrs, IPs and Sia keys —
inline HTML (< code class = "inline" > h< / code > ) is a tiny page, not a full site.
Bigger sites use < code class = "inline" > s3< / code > .< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > Beacon is a keyed address< / h3 >
< p > Prototype convenience — production would use a keyless constant script so no
one can be pressured over the beacon key.< / p >
< / div >
< div class = "card" >
< h3 > Everything is chipnet< / h3 >
< p > Mainnet migration is a separate transaction and comes after BNS2 lands. All
names, coins and mistakes on chipnet are worthless — that is the point of
doing it there first.< / p >
< / div >
< / div >
< / section >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / div >
< footer >
< div > Silent Mode — a Deviant project.< / div >
2026-08-01 01:37:18 +02:00
< div class = "fine" > Named for Sirius, the brightest star — a fixed reference everyone
sees the same way. Protocol: < code class = "inline" > Decentralized.DNS/PROTOCOL.md< / code >
(BNS1) plus < code class = "inline" > DESIGN-covenant-registry.md< / code > and
< code class = "inline" > PROTOCOL-ADDENDUM-commit-reveal.md< / code > (BNS2 additions).< / div >
2026-07-31 08:43:31 +02:00
< / footer >
< / body >
< / html >
