Quick answer
Where can a crypto or DeFi project register a private domain?
Sealname, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto, registers private domains for crypto and DeFi projects paid in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, with no ID and no KYC — only a verified email, kept private. The founders' names and home addresses never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP. A .io costs $54.99/year and a .xyz $13.99/year, the same price to renew. CAA records and a transfer lock protect the domain.
Sealname for crypto projects at a glance
| Coins accepted | Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC) |
|---|---|
| Networks | USDT on Tron (TRC-20) or Ethereum (ERC-20); USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20) |
| Payment model | Prepaid balance, minimum top-up $25; register, renew and transfer from it |
| Identity checks | None: no ID, no selfie, no ID number. One verified email per domain, never published |
| Public WHOIS/RDAP | Our privacy service's contact details instead of the founders' details, where the registry allows it |
| Popular extensions | .io $54.99 · .xyz $13.99 · .app $16.99 · .finance $49.99 · .money $31.99 · .exchange $31.99 per year |
| DNS records | A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and CAA; or your own nameservers |
| Domain protection | Transfer lock you can switch off; transfer code free, from your account, at any time |
| Phishing reports | [email protected], no account needed; acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report |
Can a crypto project pay for a domain with USDT, USDC or Bitcoin?
Yes. Sealname takes crypto only: Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC). You top up a prepaid balance once, with a minimum of $25, then register, renew or transfer domains from it.
- USDT: on Tron (TRC-20) or Ethereum (ERC-20). Send only on the network you picked.
- USDC: on Ethereum (ERC-20), see USDC.
- BTC, ETH, SOL, LTC: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Litecoin.
Unused balance stays on your account and never expires, and it pays for new domains, renewals and transfers, but it is not refundable. Card, PayPal and bank transfer are not accepted, and neither is Monero (why). The crypto payment guide explains networks and confirmations.
How do we keep the founders' home addresses out of WHOIS?
Register with Sealname and leave the public record to our privacy service. Where the registry allows it, public WHOIS/RDAP shows our privacy service's contact details instead of yours. Messages sent to the public contact are forwarded to your verified email; we never forward spam or bulk mail.
Decide early who should hold the domain:
- A founder: leave the Organization field empty. The founder is the registrant of record.
- The project's legal entity: fill the Organization field. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, a filled Organization field makes that organisation the registrant.
The holder controls the domain, its renewals and its transfer code. For a project that outlives its first team, an entity is often the safer holder. Either way, the domain is registered in that name, not ours, unless you choose the paid Registered in our name option: see who owns my domain.
Which extensions do crypto projects choose?
One price per extension: the first year, every renewal and a transfer cost the same. WHOIS privacy is included on all six. Every extension below also supports DNSSEC at the registry.
| Extension | 1st year | Renewal | Transfer | WHOIS privacy | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .io | $54.99 | $54.99 | $54.99 | Free | None |
| .xyz | $13.99 | $13.99 | $13.99 | Free | None |
| .app | $16.99 | $16.99 | $16.99 | Free | HTTPS required |
| .finance | $49.99 | $49.99 | $49.99 | Free | None |
| .money | $31.99 | $31.99 | $31.99 | Free | None |
| .exchange | $31.99 | $31.99 | $31.99 | Free | None |
.io is used by startups, developer tools and web3 projects. .xyz is a low-cost generic. .app requires HTTPS. .finance, .money and .exchange suit DeFi, payments and swap projects. The full list is on the pricing page.
How do lookalike domains put your users at risk?
Lookalike domains are the most common way to phish the users of a crypto project. An attacker registers a name close to yours, copies your site, and asks visitors to connect a wallet. Interisle's Phishing Landscape 2025 found that 77% of phishing domains were registered maliciously, and 37% through bulk registrations (Interisle).
What you can do:
- Register the obvious variants: your name on .com, .io and .xyz, and common misspellings.
- Publish one official domain in your docs, repository and social accounts, so users can check it.
- Add a CAA record in DNS settings. It lists the certificate authorities allowed to issue TLS certificates for your domain.
- Report lookalikes to the registrar's abuse contact. For a domain registered with us, write to [email protected], no account needed.
What does Sealname do about phishing domains?
We suspend them. Under the ICANN rules amended on 5 April 2024 (RAA §3.18), registrars must act promptly on well-documented DNS abuse: phishing, malware, botnets, pharming and spam used to spread them. Fraud that takes money from victims — fake shops, investment and crypto scams, wallet drainers, impersonation of a bank or brand — is suspended the same way, on a well-documented report. Every report receives an automatic acknowledgement with a reference number. Phishing, malware, botnets and fraud that takes money from victims are acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report. The full process is on the abuse page.
This protects you too. A registrar that tolerates phishing hurts every domain it holds. Trustname promised its customers protection from takedowns; ICANN sent a termination notice on 27 August 2026 for breaches of RAA §3.18.1 and §3.18.2. Its median phishing rate had risen from about 0.7% to about 10% between January and August 2026, per ICANN Domain Metrica (ICANN notice).
How do we protect the domain itself?
A project's domain is an asset attackers try to take over. Four settings in the client area reduce that risk:
- Transfer lock: keep it on. Switch it off only when you move the domain yourself.
- Transfer code: it is free, from your account, at any time. Request it only when you need it.
- Auto-renew: renewals are paid from your balance, so the domain does not expire because nobody on the team remembered the date. Keep the balance topped up.
- Account number: your random 16-digit account number is your login. Store it in a password manager.
We never ask for your password, your account number or your domain transfer (EPP) codes by email or chat. A message that asks for them is not from us: forward it to [email protected].
Crypto and DeFi projects: FAQ
Can I pay for a domain with USDT?
Yes. Sealname accepts USDT on Tron (TRC-20) and on Ethereum (ERC-20). Pick the network on the payment page and send only on that network: funds sent on another network cannot be credited. The minimum top-up is $25, and the balance then pays for registrations, renewals and transfers. See USDT TRC-20 and USDT ERC-20.
Do you need KYC documents from our team?
No. We ask for no ID document, no passport scan, no selfie, no ID or tax number and no date of birth. Each domain needs one verified email: ICANN requires registrars to verify the registrant's email within 15 days of a registration, transfer or change. That email is never published in WHOIS/RDAP.
Can our foundation or company be the registrant?
Yes. Fill the Organization field with the entity's name. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, a filled Organization field makes the organisation the registrant, so the entity, not a founder, holds the domain. Leave the field empty if a person should hold it. In both cases, you hold the domain by default (or our company, with the paid Registered in our name option).
Do you accept Monero?
No. Sealname does not accept Monero (XMR). We accept BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, on the networks listed on each payment page. If your project holds stablecoins, USDT or USDC is usually the simplest way to pay. Our Monero page explains the choice and the alternatives we accept.
Someone registered a lookalike of our domain at Sealname. What can we do?
Report it to [email protected] with the domain, the URL and a screenshot or the page source. No account is needed. Every report receives an automatic acknowledgement with a reference number, and phishing is acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report. If the dispute is about your trademark rather than phishing, the UDRP is the procedure to use.
Will a private domain make our project look suspicious?
Not by itself. Privacy services are used by abusers and by legitimate companies: a DNSRF analysis found them on 65% of 414,218 abuse-listed domains, while an ICANN-funded study found banks using them too. What users check is your official domain, published in your docs and accounts, and a working site with HTTPS.
Can we transfer our existing domain to Sealname?
Yes. Unlock the domain at your current registrar, ask for its transfer code (auth code) and start the transfer from your Sealname account. A transfer costs the same as a renewal, for example $54.99 for a .io. ICANN's Transfer Policy blocks a move to another registrar for a short period after a registration or a transfer.
Is our balance refundable if the project stops?
No. Unused balance stays on your account and never expires, and it pays for new domains, renewals and transfers, but it is not refundable. Top up what you plan to spend on domains. If a registration fails, the amount goes back to your balance and can pay for another domain, a renewal or a transfer. Prices for every extension are on the pricing page.
Sources (8)
- Registration Data Policy now in effect for contracted parties — ICANN (2025-08-21)
- ICANN's Registration Data Policy: key measures and impacts (Organization field) — Dreyfus (2025-10-28)
- DNS abuse amendments to the RAA and RA — ICANN (2024-04-05)
- Phishing Landscape 2025 — Interisle Consulting Group (2025)
- Privacy/proxy services: a safe haven for cybercriminals? — DNS Research Federation (checked 2026-10-08)
- Exposing hidden domain registrations could hurt innocent users more than criminals — PCWorld (checked 2026-10-08)
- Termination notice to Trustname — ICANN (2026-08-27)
- 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement (Whois Accuracy Program Specification) — ICANN (checked 2026-10-08)
Register your project's domain with crypto
No KYC, privacy included, one price every year. Minimum top-up $25.