Can Bitcoin replace DNS? Andrew Lunde presents Spaces Protocol, a permissionless naming system anchored on the Bitcoin blockchain. Learn how auctions determine ownership of top-level names like “@bitcoin,” the technical challenges of browser integration, and the trade-offs between decentralization and scalability. Discover how $120,000 in Bitcoin has already been burned through the auction process, the role of DHT nodes in storing metadata, and why this approach may recreate the centralization problems it aims to solve.

Show Notes:

00:00 Opening Quote: Uncancelable Identity

00:30 Event Recording and Podcast Information

01:02 Sponsor Message: ATL BitLab

02:05 Introduction to Spaces Protocol and Permissionless Systems

04:14 What is Spaces Protocol? Sovereign Bitcoin Identity

05:39 Andrew Lunde’s Background and Decentralized Systems

07:19 History of Decentralized Naming Attempts

09:20 Why Previous Projects Failed

11:57 The Centralization Problem with DNS

15:25 Censorship Examples: Malaysia and Catalonia

18:49 Certificate Authority Vulnerabilities

19:34 China’s Internet Controls and Nostr

21:55 The Case for “Uncancelable” Names

26:46 Spaces Protocol Technical Overview

29:30 Auction Process and Community Identifiers

33:33 Hierarchy vs Flat Namespace Debate

35:11 Subspace Creation and On-Chain Registration

38:35 Why Top-Level Name Ownership is Required

42:39 Fabric DHT and Distributed Storage

45:19 Auction Mechanics: 10-Day Process

49:27 Bitcoin Burning and No Pre-mine Policy

51:23 Bid Refunding and Transaction Structure

54:55 Registration and Permanent Burning

57:30 Name Expiration and Escheat Process

01:00:36 Transaction Fees and Sustainability Concerns

01:04:00 Explorer Demo: $120,000 Bitcoin Burned

01:13:34 High-Value Auctions: Bitcoin, AI, Single Letters

01:16:03 Strategy Auction Case Study

01:21:09 Start9 Integration and Future Plans

01:23:08 Browser Integration Challenges

01:25:03 DNS Resolution Workarounds

01:26:37 Multiple Records and Subspace Management