Files patent application for blockchain-based domain transfer system — D3Serve Labs
Proposed system bypasses registrar pre-approval and enables features like fractional ownership.
D3Serve Labs (no relation to D3 Global Inc.) has filed a patent application (pdf) for Method and system for enabling the transfer of domain.
The patent application (18/978071) describes a blockchain-based method and system for securely transferring “beneficiary-ship” of domain names while maintaining compliance with mandatory contact information collection requirements, such as WHOIS or Know Your Client (KYC) checks, but not requiring pre-approval from registrars or registries.
In the proposed system, ownership is tracked via a smart contract. Registrants can transfer ownership directly by publishing blockchain transactions, with registrars or registries involved only when changes to resource records are necessary.
The application outlines a number of features beyond basic ownership transfer:
- Fractional ownership
- Bundling of domains into a single transferable asset
- Multi-signature authorization, where multiple parties must approve a domain transfer
- A marketplace for domain transactions that operates on top of the system and charges a fee
Other blockchain firms are trying to make domain transfers faster.
The application notes that D3Serve Lab’s approach differs from that of one described in a 3DNS patent application, which D3Serve states maintains traditional requirements for mandatory information collection and pre-facilitation by registrars, requiring users to verify domain ownership through conventional means.
D3Serve Labs is associated with Namefi, which lets people mint NFTs based on domain names. The firm is an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar.
The application was filed on December 12, 2024, claiming priority to a provisional application filed on December 12, 2023. The USPTO published the patent application today.
