Deploy AI Agents with
Sovereign Identity

Handles and Sub-Handles are unique digital identities in the form of ERC-721 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) minted on the Rootstock sidechain.

They provide users with a human-readable identifier that serves as both a decentralized identity and a token-bound wallet address.

With Handles, you can:

• Send and receive rBTC (Smart Bitcoin) and other tokens using TokenBound Accounts
• Represent yourself across decentralized apps (dApps), social platforms, games, and more
• Create and manage Sub-Handles for personalization, community building, or service segmentation
• 🚀 Launch AI Agents (coming soon) under your Handle for personalized, autonomous interactions on-chain

In short: a Handle is your digital identity on blockchain, built to be ownable, transferable, and reusable across Web3.

Handle and Sub-Handle fees are calculated based on the number of characters in the name. This ensures shorter, more valuable names cost more, while longer names are more affordable or even free.

🔢 Key Fee Rules

• Character limits: 1 to 18 characters
• Allowed characters: Lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), single hyphens (-), one dot (.) for Sub-Handles only
• Fees are annual and paid in rBTC (Smart Bitcoin)
• Costs halve every 8 years

💰 Handle Fees

To ensure consistency, readability, and security across the system, only certain characters are allowed when minting or renewing Handles and Sub-Handles.

✅ Allowed Characters

• Lowercase letters: a to z
• Digits: 0 to 9
• Single hyphens (-) - cannot be at start/end, no consecutive hyphens
• One dot (.) - only when registering a Sub-Handle

🌍 Punycode Support for International Names

If you want to use special characters like ü, é, or non-Latin scripts, you must convert the name to Punycode before minting. Only valid Punycode format is accepted, starting with the prefix xn--

❌ Not Allowed

• Uppercase letters (A, B, C)
• Spaces or special whitespace
• Symbols like _, @, #, $, etc.
• Consecutive hyphens (--)
• Hyphens at start or end
• Multiple dots
• Direct Unicode characters like ü, ñ, ç, ß, é, emojis, etc.

The Handle and Sub-Handle system includes a predictable halving mechanism designed to gradually reduce registration and renewal fees over time — making long-term ownership more accessible while preserving scarcity for short names.

📉 What Is the Halving Mechanism?

• Fees for registering or renewing both Handles and Sub-Handles halve every 8 years
• This process begins from the moment the smart contract is deployed
• The cost reduction applies automatically and without any action needed from users

🕰️ How Long Does the Halving Process Last?

• The halving occurs over 8 cycles, each lasting 8 years → Total of 64 years
• After the 8th cycle (Year 64), fees reset to their original levels, starting a new cycle

🧮 Example: Fee Reduction Over Time

Let's say a 2-character Handle costs 0.25 rBTC/year today:

When your handle reaches its expiration date, it becomes available for others to register. Here's what happens in detail:

🔥 The Token ID Gets Burned

• Once a handle expires, the token ID associated with that handle name will be burned
• The original token ID is permanently destroyed
• A new user (or even you) can re-register the same handle name
• When re-registered, the handle will receive a new token ID — it will not reuse the old one

💳 Implications for TokenBound Accounts

If you've linked your handle to a TokenBound account, this has a critical impact:

• Any assets (tokens, NFTs, etc.) stored in the TokenBound account are tied to the original token ID
• Once that token ID is burned, you lose access to the TokenBound account forever, along with all assets stored inside it

You can obtain Smart Bitcoin (rBTC) — the native token of the Rootstock (RSK) sidechain — using several trusted methods.

🟢 For General / New Users

💳 Buy with Fiat

This is the most user-friendly method for newcomers:

• Mt Pelerin (Bridge Wallet) – Purchase rBTC directly using a bank transfer or credit card

🏦 Exchange Platforms

• Bitfinex – Trade BTC for other assets, then move to Rootstock

🔁 Cross-Chain Swaps

• sideshift.ai – Swap any supported coin from any chain to rBTC quickly and securely

⚙️ BTC ↔ rBTC Two-Way Peg

Use these services to convert BTC to rBTC (and vice versa):

• Money on Chain (MoC)
• Sovryn FastBTC
• 2WP Peg

The fee distribution model is designed to ensure long-term sustainability, ecosystem growth, and fair compensation for contributors while also supporting Bitcoin education and adoption.

💰 Handle Registration & Renewal Fee Distribution

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Sub-Handle Fees Go Directly to Parent Handle Owners

Unlike Handle fees, 100% of Sub-Handle minting and renewal fees go directly to the owner of the parent Handle.