In accordance with our earlier announcement, we are excited to announce the new exit node selection criteria and reward plan. First of all, we wish to thank everyone who contributed. Your contribution helped us shape the future of BelNet.
Exit Node Eligibility Criteria
Based on our analysis of bandwidth, speed tests, and the type of VPS from various VPS service providers that were added to BelNet in the past month, we have come up with the following criteria for BelNet exit nodes.
Exit nodes should have
Bandwidth: At least 1 Gbps bandwidth, the more the better
Type of VPS: Dedicated VPS
CPU Core: Minimum 2 cores
Any exit node that doesn’t meet the above criteria may not be considered to be added to BelNet.
The New Exit Node Reward Plan
The base reward is 1000 BDX for a VPS with 1 Gbps bandwidth and 2 CPU cores.
(Base = 1000 BDX for CPU Core = 2 Core, Bandwidth= 1 Gbps)
For every additional CPU core, the exit node will be rewarded 100 BDX and for every additional 1 Gbps Bandwidth, it will be rewarded 500 BDX.
Final reward = 1000(base fee)+ (Total number of cores – 2 core minimum)*100 + (Total Bandwidth – 1 Gbps minimum)*500
Here are a few examples:
The servers need to be dedicated servers by default.
Minimum 2 core and 1 Gbps bandwidth – 1000 BDX
4 core and 1 Gbps bandwidth – 1000 BDX (base fee) + 200 BDX (for the additional 2 cores) + 0 BDX (since there is no additional bandwidth) = 1200 BDX
Based on feedback from the community and our exit node operators, we are increasing the upper limit of total exit nodes on BelNet from 20 to 25.
Please be informed that any exit node that offers a competitive edge over the other will be selected. This is to ensure the quality of browsing for BelNet users.
Thus, we recommend that users who plan to host an exit node reach out to our team via [email protected] first. The team will offer suggestions on the location and bandwidth requirements. Thereafter, once the exit node’s slot on BelNet is confirmed, users may go ahead with the purchase of their exit node VPS.
This will save expense, time, and effort in setting up an exit node.
If you’ve got an exit node suggestion in mind, then reach out to us with the following information,
Bandwidth and CPU core details
Name of the hosting service provider
Available locations
At present, there are 19 slots filled and 6 slots available (excluding the 3 hosted by the Beldex foundation). We will shortly share the list of exit nodes that have been selected for public use on BelNet. Though we understand that everyone might be interested to contribute to BelNet, to maintain fairness and decentralization of exit nodes, for the remaining 6 available slots, we will provide the opportunity to users whose exit node isn’t already selected.
The maximum exit nodes one can host on BelNet is capped at 5.
When Are the Rewards Processed?
Currently, rewards are off-chain. We will enable an on-chain reward mechanism as we progress. Rewards will be processed at the end of every month (the last day of the month, or the day before the last).
In the near future:
We understand that you might want to run your own exit node on BelNet. Personally hosted exit nodes may help secure your connection to a website or a mobile app while ensuring its speed, bandwidth, and reliability. Thus, we will introduce a feature to custom add your own exit nodes to BelNet. This option will ensure that anyone can add an exit node, by themselves, without having to rely on the Beldex team. Users can utilize such an exit node for their personal use. Further down the line, operators can monetize their exit nodes via a built-in authentication on the BelNet app. More information will be provided as we progress.
We wish you a very happy and successful new year. To celebrate our listing on KuCoin, we are collaborating with KuCoin to launch various campaigns.
KuCoin will be giving away a total of 1000000 BDX to winners and participants of the competition.
Deposit BDX to Win BDX
BDX deposit campaign on KuCoin: Like the name suggests, all you have to do to enter the competition is deposit BDX on KuCoin.
To participate, deposit a minimum of 1000 BDX on KuCoin. At the end of the campaign, your net deposit is calculated. Net deposit is total deposits minus withdrawals during the duration of the campaign.
KuCoin users who meet this criteria at the end of the campaign will share a prize pool of 3000000 BDX.
Duration of the Deposit Campaign: Starts at 10 AM UTC on the 9th of January, 2023 and ends at 10 AM UTC on the 16th of January, 2023.
The reward calculator is as follows
(Each user’s total net deposit amount / all qualified users’ total net deposit amount) * 300000 BDX
BDX trading competition on KuCoin: To win this contest, all you have to do is trade BDX. Your total trades (buys + sells) will be calculated for the duration of the campaign.
Top 30 traders will share from a prize pool of 500000 BDX.
Duration of the Trading Campaign: Starts at 10 AM UTC on the 9th of January, 2023 and ends at 10 AM UTC on the 16th of January, 2023.
Higlan is a masternode hosting platform where you can host a Beldex masternode for a nominal fee.
It is quick and easy to set up and you can pay using BDX!
Higlan is a cold masternode hosting platform, which means you can host a Beldex masternode without actually depositing the collateral onto the platform.
All you need to do is create an account, add some BDX balance to cover the fee, add a node by submitting your wallet address that holds the 10000 BDX collateral, get the masternode registration command, and register the masternode on the Beldex Electron Wallet or the Command Line Interface Wallet. These steps are explained in detail below.
A Platform By the Community, For the Community
Higlan was created by Luca Blight, our long term community contributor.
Luca runs several Beldex masternodes himself. He has been a fervent supporter of Beldex and our vision to develop a private ecosystem.
In his words, “It has been an exciting journey with Beldex and so I wanted to create a hosting platform where the community can easily and reliably set up masternodes. I hope this helps a lot of users who struggle with self hosted masternodes.”
Create an account: Creating an account on Higlan is pretty simple. Go to Higlan.com registration page: https://higlan.com/register. Pick a username, enter your email ID and password. Click ‘Create account’.
Add some BDX balance to cover the fees: Login to your account on Higlan and navigate to the ‘Add Funds’ section at the top. Add some balance to cover the fees. To host a Beldex masternode on Higlan, users only pay a nominal and competitive fee of $4.99 USD/month. You can pay this fee in BDX. Just select the ‘Beldex’ payment method. In the image below, we are sending $5 USD equivalent of BDX to the Beldex address mentioned on the platform. This will cover the cost of running 1 Beldex masternode for 30 days.
Send BDX to Cover the Fees
Add a Beldex masternode: Now, head over to the ‘Nodes’ at the top. Select ‘Beldex’ masternode from the list and click ‘Next’. Select the number of nodes you want to host. Then, enter your Beldex wallet address in the designated field. The collateral to host one Beldex masternode is 10000 BDX. Thus, ensure that your wallet holds the required collateral amount. Then click ‘Check Order’ and confirm it.
Select the Number of Nodes
Get the masternode registration command: Once you’ve deployed a masternode, you need to get the masternode registration command and activate the masternode. To get the masternode registration command, go to ‘Dashboard’ at the top and click the ‘Show Data’ button under data management. Then, click the command line icon under ‘Actions’ to get the masternode activation/registration command.
Get the Activation Command From the ‘Actions’ Tab
Then, copy the command.
Copy the Command to Activate Your Beldex Masternode
Activate your Beldex masternode: Activate your Beldex masternode on Higlan by registering the masternode on the Beldex Electron Wallet. To do this, head over to the Beldex Electron Wallet (desktop wallet) and wait for the wallet to synchronize with the blockchain. Navigate to the ‘Master Nodes’ section. Select the ‘Registration’ option under Master Nodes. Now, paste the masternode activation/registration command into the designated field and click the ‘Register Master Node’ button.
Activate Your Masternode Using the Beldex Electron Wallet
Once your masternode is registered, you will start earning rewards in BDX. You can check the active masternodes under the ‘My Stakes’ option.
Download Beldex Electron & CLI Wallet
Download the Beldex Electron Wallet from https://beldex.io/ (navigate to the footer section).
If you’d like to use the CLI Wallet to register the masternode, you can download it from Beldex github releases here (navigate to ‘Assets’ under Bucephalus v4.1.0).
Higlan’s Limited Period Masternode Hosting Offer
Higlan is offering a limited period masternode hosting offer for the first 100 users who set up a Beldex masternode.
Details of the Offer
The offer is only valid for the first 100 users who claim it.
The offer provides free credits to run 1 Beldex masternode for 30 days.
Enter the promo code ‘BELDEX2023’ in the field for promotion code and click the ‘Activate Code’ button. Your account would now be credited with the credits to run 1 Beldex masternode for 30 days.
Ever since the launch of the Beldex network, we have been working hard to build and expand the Beldex community.
We have been steady in building the Beldex project over the years. Beldex may have been just an idea at first, but now it is a privacy enhanced ecosystem with dApps like BChat and BelNet.
We’re now stepping into a new epoch in our journey. We are excited to announce that the Beldex coin (BDX) will be listed on the tier 1 exchange KuCoin.
We believe our ecosystem’s growth will be considerably accelerated by listing on KuCoin, which gives us the opportunity to work with several communities and partners on a variety of technical and business fronts.
BDX Listing Details on Kucoin
Kucoin will list Beldex (BDX) and open trading for BDX/USDT and BDX/BTC trading pairs on 10 Jan 2023 at 10 AM UTC.
BDX Deposit will go live on 9th Jan 2023 at 10 AM UTC. Users can now start depositing BDX in preparation for trading:
Wouldn’t it be perfect if you could get paid for learning?
The Beldex learn and earn program is just that. We’ve been building for quite a while with the support of our community. However, privacy networks are not dime a dozen.
Thus, we decided to educate the wider crypto community on the importance of privacy and our role in building a private ecosystem of dApps that helps people protect their privacy in their everyday lives.
The first in the series of these educational programs is the Beldex quiz. We understand that everyone has a busy schedule and thus, a short quiz to refresh your knowledge would be the best to begin with. Later on, we will introduce more educational programs that provide in-depth answers and help the community explore Beldex.
Details of the Quiz
Topic of today’s quiz: Beldex Network
Rules
👉 Beldex will conduct weekly quiz programs on topics some of which include but not limited to
Beldex Network
BChat
BelNet
Masternodes
Exit Nodes
BNS & MNApps etc.
👉 Top 3 participants with the highest score will be rewarded at the end of each month
👉 Consistent participation is necessary to be eligible for rewards
👉 Learn about Beldex from our blogs, social media, and other resources found on our website https://beldex.io. Be active on discord to know our latest updates.
Rewards
Rewards are based on consistency, the total correct answers, and the time taken to answer each question which all reflects on the quiz leaderboard.
Winners 🏆of the quiz competition are rewarded on a monthly basis as follows:
🥇1st Place – 1000 BDX
🥈2nd Place – 500 BDX
🥉3rd Place – 300 BDX
💎Rewards will be processed on the last day of each month.
👥Invite your friends to participate in the Beldex quiz program. As they say, the more, the merrier
📖This is a learn and earn program. All you have to do is learn Beldex to earn BDX
In light of our learnings in the past few days, we have decided to limit the number of exit nodes a person can set up and choose a select few exit nodes to be added to the BelNet mobile app.
Certain exit nodes, though they claim 1 Gbps bandwidth, turn up less than 10 Mbps or 1 Mbps in speedtest results. We infer that this is due to the following reasons,
Certain VPS may be used for purposes other than BelNet exit
Shared VPS
BelNet Exit Node Terms
When setting up an exit node, we recommend that users only choose a dedicated VPS server.
A user is limited to setting up a maximum of 5 exit nodes (this is to prevent the concentration of exit nodes with a single user). Kindly set up these 5 exit nodes in different locations to increase diversity & enhance decentralization.
Exit Nodes below 1 Gbps will be removed from the BelNet mobile app to preserve quality of the exits.
Beldex Exit Node Reward Update
Exit nodes set up until the 29th of December 2022 shall be rewarded as per the existing reward schedule. Check the existing reward plan from the announcements here on Telegram & here on Discord.
Going forward, the team will identify and select 20 high performing nodes on or before the 10th of January 2023.
Only these 20 nodes will be available for community use in the BelNet mobile app.
The rest of the exit nodes (set up before the 29th of Dec, 2022) will be rewarded until the 10th of January, 2023 as per the existing reward schedule. However, after the 10th of January, 2023, these exits may not accumulate rewards. Users can have them for personal use or update the exit node’s bandwidth & spec to offer a competitive edge over other exit nodes.
Rewards for the 20 high performing exit nodes
The 20 high performing exits will be rewarded based not just on bandwidth but on a number of other factors such as CPU cores, type of VPS, uptime, and location. Thus, rewards will be dynamically assigned. More details will be provided in a follow up post.
The exit node must only be used for servicing BelNet.
The bandwidth provided must be a constant. The Beldex team will randomly perform speed tests to determine proof of bandwidth.
Exit nodes can have a maximum downtime of 24 hours, during which period the operator will be informed. If the exit node is not functional within 48 hours after it goes offline, it may not be rewarded for the current month.
Required Exit Node Details
Are exit nodes on BelNet limited to 20?
No, more exits may be added. If you believe that your exit has a good enough reason to be added to the BelNet mobile app, kindly reach out to [email protected] with the following details. These details will help us process your rewards and identify the best VPS hosting services for BelNet exit nodes.
Hosting Provider Name
Type of VPS (shared VPS or dedicated VPS)
CPU cores
Bandwidth
Location of Exit Node
Purchase receipt
Telegram ID
Discord ID
Selection of your exit node will depend on the competitive advantage it can provide over other exit nodes.
You may also use an exit node for your own personal use as they will prove to be much cheaper but highly secure than a regular VPN service.
Future of Exit Nodes on BelNet
We will provide a world map of all the live exit nodes on BelNet
Exit node rewards will be automated on-chain
We will provide the option to add a custom exit node. Users can add their exit node to the BelNet mobile app themselves.
Exit node authentication for peer to peer subscriptions: A user may monetize their high bandwidth exit node by providing access via an authentication (for example, a password) which may be shared once payment is made in BDX (still a WIP, more details will be provided as we progress)
MNApps are private applications hosted on BelNet. There are applications that are hosted with the help of a BelNet address (a .bdx address) or a BNS domain.
MNApps can be accessed only on BelNet. They provide you with the underlying security and privacy of BelNet. And since they are hosted on BelNet, you can access them anonymously.
Below is an example of an MNApp that you can access by connecting to BelNet:
As you can see, the above address corresponds to the Beldex explorer that’s hosted on BelNet.
Why Host Web Apps on BelNet?
A web application today may be a social networking site such as a microblogging or image/video sharing platform, an e-commerce website, a search engine, a cryptocurrency exchange, a blog or a news website, an e-learning platform and many more.
Downtimes
These services (web apps) are usually hosted on a server located on a designated data center. When you connect to one of these sites like xyz.com, your request will be processed by a server on a centralized data center.
While in Facebook’s case, it was a faulty command during a routine maintenance check that caused the outage, it’s not an isolated event. Several data centers face such outages from time to time due to the way their network infrastructure is designed and set up.
On a centralized network setup, your connection passes through a set of routers that connect to hubs which in turn connect to a larger network infrastructure. An issue with the local routers or an outage at the hub means that your connection is hindered.
Zero Downtime on BelNet
MNApps are hosted on a server just like any other web app on the clearnet. But the server hosts the app on BelNet. On a decentralized onion routing network like BelNet, network traffic is handled by a number of routers (Beldex masternodes) that find the optimal path to the host server. Though the websites that are hosted aren’t themselves decentralized, your connection to them is. Even if one channel path is rendered inactive or useless, the nodes will find a way to securely transmit your data over another channel. Thus, downtimes are avoided or effectively managed.
Censorship, again
Your website is blocked, again.
That’s because your web host determined the traffic coming onto your website to be suspicious. How ludicrous! All you do is share information and critique on the latest tech trends. You shouldn’t be liable for the traffic on your website right?
Well, that’s not how centralized web hosting services see it. And with the changing dynamics in the geo-political weather, a slight change in policy is all that is required to cancel you or make you go out of business.
Web applications on BelNet are hosted on servers that are obfuscated by an onion network. The host’s IP address is not visible, even to the hosting service provider.
The web app is hosted behind a randomly generated alphanumeric address such as this – cw41adqqhykuxw51xmagkkb3fixyieat1josbux13jn6o973tqgy.bdx.
Web apps hosted in this manner are similar to hidden services. They can be accessed only by connecting to BelNet. Since nobody knows where the application is hosted, there is zero chance of it being censored.
ISPs and hosting services can see the traffic going in and out of the host, but may not know the origin of the traffic or the data that it carries.
Security
If you own a website, then you’ll know that there’s no guarantee your hosting service is 100% secure. While your request itself may be protected by HTTPS, centralized servers are susceptible to central points of failure.
The security risks of centrally hosted platforms is consistent even with well-known platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp. Last month, a hacker released data of almost 500 million WhatsApp users for FREE on a darknet forum. At the same time, Twitter has acknowledged the breach of 5.4 million of its users’ personal data.
What Makes an MNApp Hosted on BelNet So Secure?
Any request to and from the web app is encrypted and onion routed through the BelNet routers (Beldex masternodes).
Since BelNet adds a layer of obscurity to applications that are hosted on its network, it is virtually impossible for hackers and bad actors to find the IP address or the location of the host.
Even if they’re able to intercept your traffic, all they’re able to view is illegible jargon. The actual data remains protected under multiple layers of encryption.
Privacy
On websites that are centrally hosted, your data is constantly being monitored.
Ever heard of the cookie monster?
Ever heard of functional, analytical, performance, marketing, and advertising cookies? Well, these aren’t actual monsters but they know everything there is to know about your online activity.
Cookies are text files sent to your browser from the websites that you visit to track your activity on their website. They also collect and store your personal data.
For example, on an e-commerce website, cookies remember the product you look at, hold in your card or add to your wishlist. They may also collect information on your optimal price range for that product. Based on this information, you’ll be shown ads on other websites that you visit on the same device.
Cookies can collect this information even if you do not login to the e-commerce site by logging your IP address and device information.
Privacy On BelNet
Connecting to web apps on BelNet will not expose your personal information such as your IP address, name, email, location, etc.
Period.
No information is collected or shared.
More on MNApps
Are MNApps Decentralized Applications?
MNApps do not connect to the blockchain. Thus, they aren’t decentralized applications and do not require every node on the Beldex network to update a state change. They are, however, web applications that protect your privacy. They leverage Beldex masternodes via the BelNet onion router.
What Can Be An MNApp?
Any website on the clearnet can be an MNApp on BelNet.
For example,
A social media site e.g. photogram.bdx 📷
A microblogging platform e.g. chatter.bdx 🐿️
An e-commerce site e.g. congo.bdx 🛒
A search engine within BelNet e.g. beagle.bdx 🔍
A video streaming platform e.g. getflix.bdx 🎬🍿
A cryptocurrency exchange e.g. 10nance.bdx 💱
and the like.
Can I Host a Mobile App on BelNet?
Yes, you can host servers on BelNet for a mobile application just the way you host web applications.
How to Host MNApps on BelNet?
Hosting an MNApp is similar to hosting any other web app. The following guide gives you an overview of the step by step process involved in hosting an MNApp.
Note:
The server specifications such as storage and bandwidth are dependent on the user’s requirements. For example, a video streaming platform may require more storage than an information sharing platform.
However, you need a Linux system with Ubuntu 18.04 or 20.04 to run an MNApp.
You don’t need to run a masternode or an exit node to host an MNApp on BelNet.
DNS is the universal Domain Name System that provides a naming convention for devices and applications on the Internet. The DNS is coordinated and managed by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN.
DNS makes it possible for machine readable IP addresses to be assigned human readable domain names. Without the DNS, you would have to remember the IP address of your favourite websites.
Why Do We Need DNS?
Humans can easily remember google.com and amazon.com but not https://172.217.166.110 or https://205.251.242.103. DNS facilitates a domain mapping service, making it possible for google.com to be mapped to its IP address https://172.217.166.110.
You can always visit google using its IP address, but think about having to visit every single website on the Internet this way? It’s just not practical.
Our very own Beldex.io, bchat.beldex.io and belnet.beldex.io are examples of domains and subdomains serviced by the DNS. Here, the Top Level Domain or TLD is .io
Similarly, there are several other TLDs that are recognized by ICANN. Chief among them are .com, .org, .net, .co, .gov etc.
Why Do We Need A Decentralized Domain Name System?
The existing Top Level Domains are managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a branch of ICANN. IANA, which is a centralized entity, oversees the Internet’s IP address allocation and manages the root servers of the Domain Name System. They essentially get to decide which TLDs are accepted and which aren’t.
How Do You Buy A Domain on DNS?
You don’t actually buy a domain name but register it (or subscribe to it) for a certain period of time. You usually register a domain with a Domain Name Registrar, which is a business that handles the domain registrations, renewals and the transfers of ownership.
Centralized vs Decentralized Name Servers
Here are some of the key differences between centralized and decentralized name servers.
Censorship
Centralized domains usually require renewals at a higher cost than they are initially purchased. They are maintained by a Domain Name Registrar who can choose to block your domain at will. Thus, centralized domain name servers are prone to censorship.
Have you ever had your domain blocked for no reason? It’s exasperating to see your business dwindle as you wait to get in touch with your Domain Name Registrar for an explanation. And by the time you get your domain back online, you might not have the same number of visitors, sales or traction that you had before.
It’s critical for businesses and individuals to always have their websites online 24/7. Centralized nameservers run the risk of censorship and restriction from a third party.
Security
Centralized domains are susceptible to security risks such as Domain hijacking, DNS hijacking, DNS poisoning, and DNS redirection. Hackers could take control of your domain if the corresponding DNS server were compromised.
Decentralized domains, on the other hand, are either resolved by smart contracts or through a network of nodes on a decentralized network. Thus, it is virtually impossible to take control or change the ownership of a domain hosted on a blockchain network.
Privacy and Anonymity
You provide your name, address, phone number, billing and other personal information to register a domain with a domain registrar. If the domain registrar were to be compromised, your data will be exposed.
Since decentralized domains are resolved by smart contracts or a node network, you can register a domain just by using your wallet address (or in our case, you can even use a BChat ID – more on this will be shared in a later blog) without having to go through gatekeepers.
What is the Beldex Name Service or BNS?
A BNS name/domain can be your social username, your website’s domain address or your wallet address. Confused how it can be everything all at once?
Yes, it can be all that.. and more. The Beldex Name Service (BNS) is a decentralized name service on the Beldex blockchain. Just as Amazon.com is resolved to an IP address, BNS usernames and domains are resolved to your BChat ID, wallet address and BelNet address.
You can think of BNS as a single, portable Web3 identity that you can use within the Beldex ecosystem.
BNS usernames and domains are open to everyone. They make it easier to look up your friends on BChat and pay them with BDX. They can also be used to host private dApps (MNApps) on BelNet.
BNS usernames are similar to your social handles. E.g. Alice
BNS domains end with the TLD .bdx. E.g. Alice.bdx
A Human Readable Web3 Username
You may have noticed that we use the term BNS names (usernames) and BNS domains interchangeably.
This is because the BChat and Beldex Wallet namespace is separated from the BelNet namespace. They are unique and independent of each other. While the former is used to assign a username to a BChat ID or a wallet address, the latter is used to map .bdx domains to a BelNet address.
BNS usernames fall under the BChat & Wallet namespace.
The BChat & Wallet Namespace
Assigning a BNS username to a BChat ID can help your friends, family, and peers to look you up on BChat using the username.
Why BNS Usernames?
Without the BNS username, a BChat ID such as this one here –
bd762dace436db0f5dc1c49174d1765c68ab65ee50889e5a8ca263700abe3a2138– is difficult to remember. You could easily map it to a BNS username such as Alice and share it with your friends.
Anyone who wants to look you up or contact you on BChat would just need to search for Alice and your BChat account would pop-up.
The username you register determines the level of your privacy. If you’re fine with people looking you up using your real world name, then you could go register {yourname} as your username. If not, please use an alias.
A Human Readable Wallet Identifier
You can get paid with your BNS username. Freelancers and businesses working across borders have a simple and easy solution to make near-instant, real-time payments with BDX.
However, it’s not always easy to remember the wallet address of the client or business you’re paying. And if you interact with tens of hundreds of businesses, then it becomes all the more difficult to manage payments to their wallets.
The Ease and Convenience of Wallet Identifiers
If you could input Alice into the recipient address field instead of the actual wallet address that’s 97-99 bits long – bxc7EQ2AxQn1oBcdcEsExTLKkiAMV3TbKjd6gsnpoEoLVSUBpic9KiKa5jqQKvc5J4MkneDXHFVf6H5tE2j7oQZy2jeND6GQH – wouldn’t it save a lot of time in verifying the recipient?
The BNS Domain
BNS domains end with the TLD .bdx. They exist within the BelNet namespace and are mapped to your BelNet address.
They’re similar to google.com, but they live within BelNet and can be accessed only by connecting to BelNet.
Why BNS Domains?
Just as how it is difficult to remember the IP 47.91. 88.100 – Port: 1080, it is also exhausting to remember a BelNet address (the IP address equivalent of an application on the BelNet) unless you have a photographic memory.
It is so much easier to type in explorer.bdx instead of –
A BNS domain is your identity within the Beldex Web3 ecosystem. A Web3 identity can be used to build trust and reputation within the ecosystem.
Your social identity. Your wallet. Your MNApp – all connected to a single Web3 domain (or different domains if you’d like).
We value our digital identities as they help us build a reputation over time. They may provide us with democratized access to an array of products and services based on our history and track record. For example, the handle @Beldexcoin on Twitter is a valuable asset to us because that’s what our users remember!
If there’s ever a community forum or an announcement board within BelNet, we’d probably use the domain Beldexcoin.bdx or community.beldex.bdx for the service.
Web3 identities like the BNS can also be used as a measure of a community member’s contribution to the network. For example, the following metrics would be considered,
When was the BNS name registered?
How long has it been registered for?
Does the BNS domain host an MNApp?
What kind of service does the MNApp provide? And so on.
In the future, if there’s a DAO for the Beldex community, then a user’s BNS names, BNS domains, their MNApps, their stake within the network (masternodes), their masternode credits, and similar factors may be used as a measure of their loyalty and commitment to the network in order to delegate key roles.
Buy BNS Forever or Renew Them?
You can both buy BNS usernames forever but you can only register a BNS domain for a specified number of years.
As we mentioned, BNS names are of two kinds. One that exists within the BChat and wallet namespace, and one that exists within the BelNet namespace.
Registering a BNS Username
The BNS name for the BChat and wallet namespace exists without the .bdx extension.
E.g. John
The above BNS name is mapped to a BChat ID and the corresponding wallet address. It follows a ‘buy once and keep forever’ model. This is because it will be impractical for users to change the BNS for their wallets that receive payments.
Registering a BNS Domain
The BNS name for the BelNet namespace uses the extension .bdx.
E.g. John.bdx
The above BNS that uses the .bdx extension can host an MNApp. It follows a ‘register (for a period of time specified by the user) and renewal’ model. This is to prevent domain squatting. Malicious actors may try to buy domains such as amazon.bdx and lay them to waste to prevent legitimate businesses from buying them.
Can you login with BNS names?
There are currently no decentralized applications that use the BNS as a login. BChat, our flagship social dApp, doesn’t require usernames to login. However, it will certainly be interesting to see a decentralized application that uses the BNS as a login built on the Beldex network. You could be the first to build it.
How are BNS Names Resolved
BNS runs on the Beldex blockchain and uses a distributed on-chain registry to resolve BNS names to a BChat ID and wallet address and BNS domains to a BelNet address. Records of ownership and information about domain expiry and renewal are maintained on-chain.
What’s possible and not possible?
One BNS Name to Many BChat IDs/wallets – not possible
Many BNS Names to One BChat ID/ wallet – possible
One BNS Domain to Many BelNet Addresses – not possible
Many BNS Domains to One BelNet Addresses – possible
One to many mapping is not possible because you cannot receive BDX sent to one BNS name on different wallet addresses. This is the same for BNS domains. You cannot enter one BNS domain and expect to visit multiple websites/MNApps.
On the other hand, a many to one mapping is possible.
In this case, two or more BNS names are mapped to a BChat ID and wallet.
Consider the BNS names Alice and Bob mapped to the following BChat ID & wallet
BChat ID – bd762dace436db0f5dc1c49174d1765c68ab65ee50889e5a8ca263700abe3a2138
BNS name lookup: If you search for either Alice or Bob on BChat, the same account will show up.
Similarly, you can map two or more BNS domains like alice.bdx and bob.bdx to a single BelNet address.
Where Do You Register A .bdx Domain?
You can register a .bdx domain either on the Electron wallet (a user-friend user interface will be added to the Electron wallet for this purpose in a later update) or on the CLI wallet.
More details on registration fees, renewals, and updating ownership records will be shared in a detailed documentation later when BNS goes live.
Do Browsers Support the .bdx TLD?
A domain such as yourname.cryptocurrency doesn’t work on a browser because browsers don’t yet support the TLD .cryptocurrency. Or specifically, ICANN doesn’t recognize it as a top level domain yet.
Popular browsers such as Chrome and Mozilla Firefox support the TLDs registered with the public root of the DNS which is maintained by ICANN. Thus, .bdx which exist on the Beldex network are not supported by browsers on the clearnet.
If browsers do not support the TLD .bdx, how can you access a BNS domain?
You can access a BNS domain by connecting to BelNet using a BelNet client.
Now, open a browser application and enter the .bdx domain (e.g. beldex.bdx) into the browser’s address field.
You will now be able to access the .bdx domain.
BNS Introduces A New BDX Burn Mechanism
BNS introduces a burning mechanism to BDX. The BDX used to register a BNS domain is burnt and removed from circulation. Thus, as BNS adoption increases, the amount of BDX that is removed from circulation also increases, resulting in a stable & positive price discovery for BDX.
Cryptwerk is an online directory of online and offline companies, businesses, stores, and services where you can pay with BDX. Here, you’ll be able to find the merchants and businesses that accept BDX for their products and services. The directory lists over 1300 merchants and stores accepting crypto.
Why Does BDX Need Real World Use Cases?
The Beldex coin (BDX) will be a utility on BChat, BelNet, Beldex Browser, and the scores of other decentralized applications that we’ll be developing.
However, one of the core principles on which Beldex was founded is the protection of financial privacy. And to achieve this, it should be possible for BDX holders to spend BDX in the real world.
Imagine how convenient it would be to purchase a gift or a personal care item without the world knowing about it.
Real world use cases create value propositions and aid in price discovery of BDX. Thus, Beldex will be partnering with crypto payment processors and merchants so that you can buy real-world products and services with BDX.
Businesses & Merchants that Accept BDX
Below are a few businesses that accept cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency Checkout: Beldex is listed with cryptocurrency checkout, a non-custodial payment gateway that provides plugins for e-commerce merchants and open-source CMS like Bigcommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, WHMCS, WCMarketplace, and Crypto Invoice.
Stay tuned as we keep building our real-world use cases by partnering with online and offline retailers.
Place Your Requests Here
If you think we need to be listed with a crypto payment service provider or a merchant in your locality, then please reach out to us via the following channels
Crypto payment processors & merchants can reach out to
DappRadar describes itself as the world’s dApp store. A dApp store is an dApp distribution service or a dApp marketplace where you can search for and download decentralized applications like the BChat private messenger.
DappRadar hosts a range of decentralized applications from wallets to DeFi platforms. It is one of the largest dApp marketplaces with nearly 13,000 dApps and supports 42 protocols.
Users can download BChat for Android devices directly from DappRadar.
BChat for desktop clients will be listed on the platform shortly.
Why Do We Need Decentralized Marketplaces?
Decentralized app marketplaces not only serve as alternatives to mainstream centralized app distribution services, but they’re also specific to Web3 and provide a higher degree of trust and privacy.
You don’t need to register an account on a dApp store to download a dApp. All you need to do is waltz in and click that download button.
Another key reason to use a dApp store is censorship-resistance. While centralized players try to offer their services worldwide, there are certain exceptions that prevent them from doing so. It could be their terms of policies or the laws of a region.
In such cases, an app store quite doesn’t fit the cut. That’s where dApp stores come in. Most if not all dApp stores connect to a decentralized network where information about the app is hosted. The application thus hosted will have a high security and censorship-resistance.
BChat, BelNet, and all other ecosystem dApps will be hosted on multiple dApp store platforms so that you can access them freely from anywhere, anytime.
