Bought a Handshake Domain at Namecheap? What Changed and What Comes Next
Updated September 29, 2026
If you bought a Handshake domain through Namecheap and can no longer renew it or change its settings, you need a working claim route for the name you already paid for. For .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, .ez, .use, .coffees, and .giveaways, that route is now HeadlessDomains.com/recover. Namebase cannot process claims for these names.
At HeadlessDomains.com, .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, and .done are live for new registrations. Earlier registrations in .c, .1, .zen, and .yolo remain protected for their holders. Protected names in .ez, .use, .coffees, and .giveaways use the same manual claim route. Claiming a name bought through Namecheap is separate from registering a new one.
We have opened a way for those owners to submit their existing names for manual review. Keep your registration records and any claim email or code private. You do not need to buy your protected name again. Submission does not automatically approve, activate, transfer, or renew the domain.
How we got here
The changes involve Namecheap, where many people bought their domains, and the upstream Handshake service those registrations once used. HeadlessDomains.com now operates the affected namespaces and protects earlier registrations while holders are verified. Namebase runs a separate service, but it is not the registry or claim destination for the names covered here.
| Date | What happened | What it means for domain owners |
|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2026 | Namecheap announced restrictions on Handshake registrations, renewals, transfers, and management, citing an upstream wind-down. | Existing configurations could continue operating, but affected customers could no longer rely on their usual registrar controls. The announcement listed exceptions for some extensions. |
| July 10, 2026 | Namebase introduced its new non-custodial service. | TLD owners could operate through a registry where registration payments go directly to them. Old custodial assets remained on a separate sunset platform. |
| August 8, 2026 | Namebase published its Sunset Guide. | Customers with assets on the old platform were told to withdraw or transfer them before October 1, 2026. |
| September 14, 2026 | Namecheap updated its June 10 Handshake announcement after the upstream EPP service ended and told holders to claim through Namebase. | That instruction is incorrect for .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, .ez, .use, .coffees, and .giveaways. Namebase cannot process those claims. As of September 29, Namecheap has not corrected its public announcement. |
| As of September 23, 2026 | .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, and .done are live on HeadlessDomains.com. | New names were available to register. At that point, recovery of earlier Namecheap registrations was still being prepared. |
| September 26, 2026 | HeadlessDomains.com chose its own manual holder review route, now described in the recovery guide. | The team decided to move ahead without waiting for Namebase claim-code integration or further cooperation. |
| September 29, 2026 | The protected claim route opened for affected Namecheap customers. | Holders can submit the exact name and purchase evidence for manual review at HeadlessDomains.com/recover. Submitting is not approval or activation. |
| October 1, 2026 | Namebase’s old custodial platform is scheduled to close. | This is the deadline for moving assets out of the old custodial service. It should not be read as a universal expiry date for every Handshake second-level domain. |
Namecheap’s original June notice listed exceptions for .sox, .saas, .pgp, .p, .orb, .oot, .oo, .oh, .ill, .elite, and .creator. This article concerns the affected names listed above; for another extension, check its current registrar and registry instructions.
What Namebase’s transition means for your name
A top-level domain, or TLD, is an extension such as .zen. A second-level domain, or SLD, is a name registered beneath it, such as example.zen. Buying an SLD does not make you the operator of the whole extension.
The instructions you need depend on which one you own.
For names bought through Namecheap, the Namebase claim page is not the route for .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, .ez, .use, .coffees, or .giveaways. HeadlessDomains.com operates these namespaces. We asked Namecheap for a way to validate or map codes associated with its customer purchases, then moved ahead with our own manual review instead of waiting for code integration.
A claim email or code may help as evidence, but it does not automatically redeem a name at HeadlessDomains.com or establish who holds it. The team reviews the exact name and registrar records. Namebase’s separate claim process may apply to other registrations, but it cannot recover the affected names in this article.
For assets held on the old custodial Namebase, follow the Sunset Guide. It covers TLD transfers and remaining coin balances. Namebase says normal withdrawals end on October 1, with later recovery involving additional verification, longer processing times, and administrative costs. TLD holders should read the transfer instructions before withdrawing their HNS.
Public updates from Namebase and Headless Domains
These short excerpts show how the migration and claim discussion developed. Each links to the original post. They are historical context; use the recovery guide for current claim instructions.
| Date | Account | Short excerpt | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2026 | Namebase, @NamebaseHQ | “The new Namebase is live!” | Announcement of the new service. |
| July 29, 2026 | Namebase, @NamebaseHQ | “If you haven't migrated, your domain buyers can't set up records.” | A reminder that an SLD holder’s ability to manage records can depend on the TLD operator completing migration. |
| August 24, 2026 | Namebase, @NamebaseHQ | “The legacy Namebase platform at sunset.namebase.io closes October 1, 2026.” | A deadline reminder for customers and previously staked TLD owners. |
| September 12, 2026 | Headless Domains, @HeadlessDomains | “Can your HNS claim-code process also support registrars outside Namebase, such as HeadlessDomains.com?” | Our earlier question about cross-registrar claim codes. The independent manual claim route is now open. |
The questions existing holders are asking
For someone who already paid for a name, the immediate concern is practical: where can I manage it now, and what do I need to do to keep it?
That uncertainty appears in public discussion too. In the Reddit thread “Namebase updates”, a participant asked whether migration was still incomplete because the site had limited functionality. The thread concerns the earlier transition and is useful background on customer confusion, rather than guidance for today’s claims.
We’ve also seen reports of holders unable to renew .1 names and unsure what a pending status means. A pending label alone does not tell you whether a domain’s paid term has paused, whether it has expired, or which party needs to act. Ask for confirmation about your specific name before relying on any of those interpretations.
What we’re doing for existing holders
HeadlessDomains.com has opened new registrations in .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, and .done. Earlier Namecheap purchases in .c, .1, .zen, .yolo, .ez, .use, .coffees, and .giveaways can now be submitted through our protected holder claim route for manual review. The .done extension is new and has no earlier registrations to recover.
We want existing holders to be able to prove ownership and manage their names here. You can start a claim now at HeadlessDomains.com/recover. Starting a claim is not the same as completing recovery: our team checks the exact name and purchase evidence before deciding whether it can be attached to an account or activated.
If you bought through another registrar, the same protected form asks which registrar you used. Bring the records you have for that purchase. For extensions outside the affected list above, check the current instructions for that extension rather than assuming this claim route applies.
For now:
- Keep your evidence. Save the full domain name, original registrar, receipt or order reference, and any claim email. Keep claim codes private.
- Read the current claim instructions. The recovery guide explains the protected form, GFAVIP sign-in, registrar selection, and manual review.
- Ask Namecheap for your purchase record if needed. If you no longer have an order or account reference, request it from the registrar where you bought the name. Do not send passwords, wallet seed phrases, or private keys.
- Keep any old Namebase assets on a separate checklist. If you also hold TLDs or funds on its old custodial platform, its October 1 deadline is separate from the term of an SLD you bought through Namecheap.
- Follow @HeadlessDomains on X for the latest updates.
Ready to begin? Read the steps and start your protected claim.