ZIP-0021: Zoo Naming Service

Abstract

This proposal defines the Zoo Naming Service (ZNS), a decentralized domain name system on Zoo Network that maps human-readable .zoo names to wallet addresses, smart contracts, IPFS content, and conservation project identifiers. ZNS enables users to register names like alice.zoo or borneo-orangutan.zoo for identity, payments, and project discovery.

Motivation

Hex addresses are hostile to human interaction and hinder adoption:

Usability: donate.wwf.zoo is vastly more accessible than 0x9011E888...
Identity: Researchers, conservationists, and donors need recognizable on-chain identities
Project discovery: Named conservation projects (amazon-reforestation.zoo) are easier to find and verify
Phishing prevention: Named addresses reduce the risk of sending funds to wrong addresses
Ecosystem branding: A .zoo namespace strengthens Zoo Network's identity

Specification

Name Structure

<label>.zoo                    # Top-level name
<sublabel>.<label>.zoo         # Subdomain

Label rules: 3-63 characters, alphanumeric plus hyphens, no leading/trailing hyphens
Unicode: Supported via IDNA2008 normalization (Punycode encoding on-chain)
Reserved: zoo, admin, governance, treasury, bridge (controlled by Foundation)

Registration Tiers

Name Length	Annual Fee (ZOO)	Category
3 characters	10,000	Premium
4 characters	2,500	Standard
5 characters	500	Standard
6+ characters	100	Basic
Conservation projects	0 (subsidized)	Verified

Registry Contract

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;

contract ZooNameRegistry {
    struct NameRecord {
        address owner;
        address resolver;
        uint256 expiry;
        bool isConservationProject;
    }

    mapping(bytes32 => NameRecord) public names;

    event NameRegistered(bytes32 indexed nameHash, address owner, uint256 expiry);
    event NameResolved(bytes32 indexed nameHash, address resolved);

    function register(
        string calldata name,
        address owner,
        uint256 duration
    ) external payable returns (bytes32 nameHash) {
        nameHash = keccak256(abi.encodePacked(name));
        require(names[nameHash].expiry < block.timestamp, "name taken");
        uint256 fee = calculateFee(name, duration);
        require(msg.value >= fee, "insufficient fee");

        names[nameHash] = NameRecord({
            owner: owner,
            resolver: address(defaultResolver),
            expiry: block.timestamp + duration,
            isConservationProject: false
        });

        emit NameRegistered(nameHash, owner, block.timestamp + duration);
    }

    function resolve(string calldata name) external view returns (address) {
        bytes32 nameHash = keccak256(abi.encodePacked(name));
        NameRecord memory record = names[nameHash];
        require(record.expiry >= block.timestamp, "name expired");
        return IResolver(record.resolver).addr(nameHash);
    }
}

Resolver Interface

Resolvers map names to various record types:

Record Type	Key	Example Value
Address	`addr`	`0x9011E888251AB053B7bD1cdB598Db4f9DEd94714`
Content Hash	`contenthash`	`ipfs://QmYwAPJz...`
Text	`description`	`Borneo orangutan conservation project`
Text	`url`	`https://borneo-project.zoo.network`
Text	`avatar`	`ipfs://QmAvatar...`
Address (multi-chain)	`addr.lux`	Lux C-Chain address

Conservation Project Names

Verified conservation projects receive free .zoo names:

Project submits verification request with evidence (NGO registration, field reports)
Impact Oracle operators (ZIP-0020) validate the project
Upon approval, a subsidized name is minted with isConservationProject = true
Conservation project names display a verification badge in ecosystem UIs

Revenue Allocation

All ZNS registration fees flow to the treasury (ZIP-0018):

fee_distribution:
  conservation_fund: 60%
  operations: 20%
  name_renewal_subsidy_pool: 20%

Grace Period and Expiry

Grace period: 90 days after expiry where only the previous owner can renew
Premium auction: After grace period, expired premium names (3-4 chars) enter a Dutch auction starting at 10x annual fee, decreasing linearly over 28 days to the standard fee
Basic release: Names 5+ characters return to open registration at standard price

Rationale

The tiered pricing model reflects the scarcity of short names while keeping longer names affordable for grassroots conservation projects. Free names for verified conservation projects remove financial barriers and encourage legitimate use of the namespace.

ENS-compatible resolver interface ensures tooling compatibility with existing wallet integrations and dApps that already support ENS-style resolution.

60% of fees going to conservation means that even the naming service contributes to the core mission, turning a protocol utility into a funding mechanism.

Security Considerations

Front-running: Name registration uses a commit-reveal scheme (commit hash first, reveal name after 1 block) to prevent front-running of desirable names
Squatting: Names unused for 2 years (no transactions resolved) may be reclaimed via governance vote
Homograph attacks: IDNA2008 normalization prevents confusable character substitutions
Resolver trust: Users can set custom resolvers, but default resolver is maintained by the Foundation with upgrade timelock
Key rotation: Name owners can update their resolver address, enabling key rotation without losing the name

Zoo Naming Service