The Happening event, slated for early February 2024, is poised to be a landmark opportunity in the Handshake (HNS) ecosystem, akin to a gold rush for investors and builders. When Handshake launched in February 2020, it reserved several domain name categories, including existing ICANN TLDs, a custom list for entities like ENS, and the Alexa Top 100K. Originally set to expire four years post-launch, over 6,000 names have already been claimed. A soft fork proposed by the HNS community will extend this period, particularly for ICANN TLDs and an updated Alexa Top 10K list. This update was signaled for activation by major HNS mining pools in September 2023. As a result, approximately 78,489 names will be up for auction around January 31st to February 3rd, 2024. This event, uniquely coined as “The Happening,” is a nod to the concept of “halvening” in proof-of-work chains like Bitcoin. It presents a significant chance for new entrants to acquire premium domain names, leveling the playing field in a protocol that’s aiming to reshape the decentralized web.
You can find a complete list of the names that will be released here