Anylayer Name Service (ANS) Naming Policy
1. Purpose and Scope
1.1 This Naming Policy governs the creation, allocation, renewal, transfer, and use of names within the ANS namespace (the “Namespace”), operated by Anylayer.
1.2 The Policy applies to all applicants and registrants (collectively, “Registrants”), to accredited registrars acting on behalf of Anylayer (the “Registrar”), and to any person or entity asserting a claim or dispute concerning an ANS name (a “Claimant”).
1.3 By applying for, registering, renewing, transferring, or using an ANS name, a Registrant accepts and agrees to be bound by this Policy and all related policies referenced herein.
2. Definitions
A unique identifier under the ANS Namespace (e.g., alex.ans).
The wallet or entity in whose name an ANS registration is recorded.
Anylayer’s registration service and affiliated smart contracts authorized to process ANS registrations.
A term withheld from general availability for reasons including protocol operation or trademark protection.
A name categorized as higher-value due to length or market demand, priced above standard tiers.
The period following expiration during which a Registrant may renew without loss of the Name.
The period following Grace during which a lapsed Name may still be restored upon payment of a fee.
Canonical formatting rules applied to Names to prevent visually confusable duplicates.
3. Ownership & Title
3.1 Namespace Ownership. Anylayer (and its licensors, where applicable) owns and controls the ANS Namespace, the associated registries, smart contracts, code, and marks. No title or intellectual property right in the Namespace is transferred to any Registrant by virtue of registration or use.
3.2 License to Use. A registration confers a limited, revocable, time‑bounded license to use and resolve the registered Name in accordance with this Policy and applicable law. It does not confer a property right or any proprietary interest in the string of characters comprising the Name.
3.3 No IP in the String. Registrants acquire no copyright, trademark, or other IP rights in a Name solely by registering it. Rights, if any, must arise from separate lawful use or recognized legal protection.
3.4 Authoritative Record. The on‑chain registry and associated smart contracts are the authoritative record of allocation, renewal, and transfer. Off‑chain displays and indexes are provided for convenience only.
3.5 Custody & Keys. Control of a Name follows control of the private keys for the wallet recorded as Registrant. Anylayer is not responsible for lost, stolen, or compromised keys or wallets.
3.6 Upgrades & Migrations. The Registrar may modify, upgrade, or migrate registry contracts to maintain security and performance. Where feasible, advance notice will be provided under Section 17.
3.7 Normalization Effects. Where normalization or technical rules affect the display or resolution of a Name, the normalized form and registry state control.
4. Terms of Use
4.1 Acceptable Use. Registrants must use Names lawfully and in good faith. Prohibited uses include deception, phishing, malware distribution, and violations outlined in Sections 5 and 13.
4.2 Representations. By registering or using a Name, a Registrant represents and warrants that (a) they have legal capacity and authority; (b) information provided to the Registrar is accurate and complete; and (c) use of the Name will not infringe third‑party rights or applicable law.
4.3 Suspension/Termination. The Registrar may suspend, revoke, or place a Name on hold for violations of this Policy, credible abuse, legal orders, or security risks.
4.4 No Warranties. The Namespace and registration services are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the maximum extent permitted by law, Anylayer disclaims warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non‑infringement.
4.5 Limitation of Liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Anylayer shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages. Direct damages, if any, are limited to the fees paid by the Registrant for the Name during the twelve (12) months preceding the event.
4.6 Indemnification. Registrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Anylayer and its affiliates from claims arising from the Registrant’s use of a Name in violation of this Policy.
4.7 Governing Law & Forum. Governing law and forum for disputes under this Policy shall be as specified by Anylayer governance from time to time.
5. Eligibility
5.1 ANS Names are open to natural persons and legal entities that (a) accept this Policy and (b) are not prohibited by applicable law from owning or using such Names.
5.2 Names that correspond to trademarks, public institutions, or otherwise sensitive terms may require additional verification prior to allocation or transfer.
5.3 The Registrar may refuse, suspend, or revoke a registration if the Registrant provides false information, fails verification where required, or violates this Policy.
6. Formatting and Technical Rules
6.1 Character Set and Length. Names must use the characters a–z (case-insensitive), digits 0–9, and hyphen -. Names must be 3–32 characters in length, exclusive of the ANS suffix.
6.2 Case and Storage. Names are case-insensitive and shall be stored and displayed in lowercase by default.
6.3 Hyphen Use. Hyphens may not appear at the start or end of a Name and may not appear consecutively.
6.4 Emoji/Unicode. Emoji and extended Unicode are not supported in Version 1.0.
6.5 Normalization. Names are normalized and case-folded. Where normalization results in a collision, the earliest valid registration prevail and conflicting transactions are rejected with a refund of the base fee.
6.6 Resolution and Syntax. Names must conform to technical syntax published by the Registrar.
7. Prohibited and Sensitive Strings
7.1 The following are prohibited: (a) Names intended for impersonation or deception; (b) Names reserved for protocol operation (e.g., root, admin, null); (c) Names used for phishing, malware, or illegal content; (d) Names restricted by law or sanctions.
7.2 Edge cases, including visually confusable strings and transliterations, may be reviewed under the Dispute Resolution procedure.
7.3 The Registrar may impose temporary holds on Names under investigation for abuse or legal claims.
8. Allocation (Registration) Model
8.1 Standard Availability. Standard Names are allocated on a first-come, first-served (FCFS) basis upon payment of the applicable fee and compliance with this Policy.
8.2 Premium and High-Demand Names. The Registrar may use time-bound auctions or other competitive allocation methods for Premium Names or high-demand releases.
8.3 Reserved and Allowlists. Reserved Names may be allocated via allowlists or verification-based processes (e.g., brand claims).
8.4 Rate Limits. The Registrar may apply per-wallet or per-entity throttles to deter hoarding and automated abuse.
8.5 Allocation Finality. Allocation is final once the transaction is confirmed and any required verification has been satisfied.
9. Fees and Pricing
9.1 Standard Fees. Standard Names are priced on a flat or tiered basis (e.g., by length).
9.2 Premium Fees. Premium Names are priced using market-based tiers or catalogs published by the Registrar.
9.3 Reserved Fees. Reserved Names may be free or subject to special pricing for verified rights holders.
9.4 Transparency. All fees are disclosed at point of sale. Material changes follow the Change Management procedure.
9.5 Taxes and Gas. Registrants are responsible for applicable taxes and network fees (gas) incurred.
10. Term, Expiration, and Renewal
10.1 Term. Names are leased for fixed terms (e.g., one-year periods) recorded on-chain.
10.2 Expiration and Grace. Names entering the Grace Period (default 30 days) may be renewed by the previous Registrant without losing the Name.
10.3 Redemption. Following Grace, a Redemption Period (default 30–60 days) applies. Renewal during Redemption may require an additional fee.
10.4 Release. If not renewed during Redemption, the Name is released to general availability.
10.5 Notices. Renewal notices are provided as a courtesy; Registrants bear ultimate responsibility to renew.
11. Transfers and Secondary Markets
11.1 Direct Transfer. Registrants may transfer Names on-chain between wallets, provided all fees are current and no holds apply.
11.2 Escrow. The Registrar may offer native escrow or integrate with third-party escrow.
11.3 Restrictions. Names subject to dispute, sanctions, or administrative hold may not be transferred.
11.4 Record Update. Upon transfer, the new Registrant assumes all obligations under this Policy.
12. Reserved and Premium Names
12.1 Reserved Catalog. Anylayer maintains a catalog of Reserved Names (protocol terms, public-interest, protected brands) not available for FCFS registration.
12.2 Claims and Verification. Verified rights holders may request matching Reserved Names by submitting evidence under the Dispute Resolution process.
12.3 Premium Catalog. Premium Names (short, dictionary, high-demand) may be released through auctions or drops.
12.4 Misuse. Violation of this Policy may result in suspension or cancellation after due process.
13. Anti‑Squatting and Acceptable Use
13.1 Anti‑Hoarding. The Registrar may impose bulk limits and dynamic throttles to deter automated mass registrations.
13.2 No Deception. Names must not be used to mislead, impersonate, or facilitate fraud (including look‑alikes like g00gle.ans).
13.3 Abuse Response. Confirmed abuse may result in suspension, removal from releases, or registration blocks.
13.4 Notice and Cure. Except in urgent cases, the Registrar will provide notice and opportunity to cure before imposing sanctions.
14. Dispute Resolution
14.1 Filing a Dispute. Claimants may file a dispute by submitting the Name, basis for claim, and supporting evidence.
14.2 Process. Follows: Intake → Notice → Response → Adjudication → Outcome.
14.3 Standards. Decisions are based on evidence of rights, misuse, and compliance with this Policy.
14.4 Outcomes. Includes transfer to Claimant, cancellation of Name, or dismissal.
14.5 Appeal. Parties may appeal within a defined window with additional evidence.
14.6 Costs. Filing and response fees may be required to deter abuse.
14.7 Publication. Final decisions may be summarized for transparency.
15. Compliance, Holds, and Legal Requests
15.1 Administrative Holds. The Registrar may place a Name on hold in response to legal requests, abuse reports, or technical risks.
15.2 Sanctions and Geo‑Restrictions. Privacy‑preserving screening may be used to block restricted registrations where required by law.
15.3 Release of Holds. Holds are reviewed periodically and lifted when issues are resolved.
16. Privacy and Data Minimization
16.1 Wallet‑Based Identity. No personally identifiable information is collected by default.
16.2 Verification Records. Verification evidence is provided via attestations; raw documents are not published on-chain.
16.3 Logging. Audit logs capture lifecycle events without exposing personal datasets.
16.4 Data Requests. Anylayer responds to lawful data requests consistent with law and this Policy.
17. Change Management and Versioning
17.1 Amendments. Material changes are proposed through a public RFC, followed by comment and governance vote.
17.2 Notice. At least 14 days’ notice is provided before amendments take effect, except for urgent security needs.
17.3 Version History. A changelog and prior versions are maintained and linked from the policy page.
Appendices (Non‑Binding Aids)
A. Premium/Reserved Catalog — Maintained by Registrar; updated via Change Management.
B. Normalization & Collision Examples — Illustrative examples for implementers and users.
C. Fee Schedule — Current standard and premium pricing tiers.
D. Dispute Form Template — Recommended format and evidence checklist for filings.
One Identity.
Any App. Any Chain.
ANS is the universal identity namespace of Anylayer. It is designed for a world where identity, trust, and access move freely across ecosystems—without sacrificing privacy.
An ANS name is more than a username. It is a programmable onchain identity that carries reputation, credentials, and proofs across apps, wallets, games, and protocols. Whether you are an individual, a creator, or a global brand, ANS gives you a single, verifiable identity that works everywhere.
Unlike traditional naming systems, ANS is privacy-first by default and powered by zero-knowledge proofs. You can prove what matters—trust, status, eligibility—without revealing who you are or exposing sensitive data.
Short names are scarce. Prominent names are protected. Identity stays yours.
ANS — identity, without limits.
© 2026 Anylayer Identity Foundation