Breaking down barriers in web3 identity

Problem

Web3 ecosystems suffer from lengthy, error-prone numerical addresses that create significant barriers to mainstream adoption. Address poisoning attacks, siloed wallet experiences, and fragmented identity management compound these issues, increasing transaction risks, support costs, and enterprise onboarding friction while limiting brand expression for decentralized applications.

Solution

HNS by BCW Group mints each domain as a native Hedera NFT, mapping memorable names to numerical addresses through open smart contract interfaces. The protocol leverages Hedera’s infrastructure for immutable registration records and decentralized resolution, eliminating copy-paste errors and enabling consistent cross-application identity. Hierarchical sub-name architecture supports organizational needs while bulk-mint tooling streamlines integration for developers.

Hedera gives us the speed, fee certainty and security through 100% finality that is required for a truly mainstream decentralized naming service.

Jesse Whiteside

Director of Business Development, BCW Group

In blockchain ecosystems, usability often stumbles at the first hurdle: cryptographic addresses. These strings of random characters are difficult to memorize, easy to mis-type, and susceptible to “address poisoning” scams. For new users and enterprises alike, the result is friction, reduced trust, and lost funds—over $83 million between 2022 and 2024.

From numbers to names

HNS solves this by mapping Hedera account IDs and contract addresses to human-readable .hbar domains, minted as NFTs through Hedera Token Service. Each name, whether alice.hbar for an individual or dao-treasury.hbar for an organization, becomes a secure, portable identity that works across integrated wallets and dApps. Hierarchical sub-name structures and bulk-mint tools ensure scalability for enterprise needs.

Since launch, HNS has minted over 25,000 domains, reducing transaction errors and support costs while improving onboarding for both consumer and enterprise applications. By providing a consistent identity layer, it also enhances brandability, making web3 services feel as familiar and intuitive as traditional web domains.

Beyond address resolution, HNS is positioned to evolve into a decentralized identifier (DID) platform supporting verifiable credentials and trust-minimized reputation systems. Planned partnerships with Hedera Council members and ecosystem platforms aim to embed HNS deeply into web3 infrastructure, making blockchain as seamless to navigate as the internet itself.

Why Hedera

HNS is tightly integrated with Hedera’s infrastructure. Hedera Token Service powers native NFT minting with ownership guarantees; Hedera Consensus Service maintains immutable, fairly ordered transaction records; mirror nodes and state proofs enable lightweight, decentralized name resolution. This results in predictable low fees, rapid finality, and an ESG-aligned, carbon-negative footprint—critical for enterprise adoption.