Web3 names in non-Latin scripts
Several endings in the catalogue are written in their own scripts. They work the same way as Latin ones, with a few details worth knowing.
Several endings in the catalogue are written in their own scripts. They work the same way as Latin ones, with a few details worth knowing.
A name in another script is stored in a coded form made of letters, digits and hyphens that begins with xn--. Software converts it back to the original script for display. The coded form is called punycode, and it is what a system reads even when you see the native text.
That means one name has two faces: the native one for people and the coded one for machines. Both point to the same name, and each ending page in the catalogue shows its coded form.
Some apps show the native script, others show the coded form. Send both when you share the name for the first time.
Arabic, Hebrew and Yiddish run right to left, and an address mixing them with Latin letters can appear in a different order on screen. Check how it displays on the devices your audience uses.
If a device has no font for the script, the name shows as empty boxes. Test on a phone and on a computer.
Not everyone has a keyboard for the script. Provide the coded form or a link so the name can be pasted rather than typed.
Some letters in different scripts look identical, such as a Latin a and a Cyrillic a. Two names can read the same and be different names. Always compare names using the coded form when money is involved, and use a copied address rather than a typed one.
A name that looks right on screen may use look-alike letters from another script. Before sending anything of value, confirm the coded xn-- form with the person you are paying through a second channel.
Pricing is set by the provider for each ending. Check the ending at Freename for the current price.
No. Support depends on the wallet or app. Where it is missing, the coded form is shown.
It is the form the network stores. The native script is how that same name is displayed to people.
Technically some combinations are possible, but mixed scripts are harder to read and easier to impersonate. We suggest using one script per name.
If something does not work as expected, the next guide lists what to check first.