NNS

After much development, testing, and preparation, the NEO Name Service TestNet is now ready to accept registrants.

Bidding preparation and CGAS

To bid on a .neo domain name, first go to https://testwallet.nel.group and log in by creating a new wallet file, or using an existing wallet. (Please note, the application is running on TestNet. Do not send any MainNet assets to your wallet.)

You will require CGAS, a NEP-5 token bound to GAS at a ratio of 1:1, to bid on TestNet “.neo” or “.test” domain names. You will be able to request TestNet GAS on the landing page, and are able to claim 10 TestNet GAS at a rate of once per day.

Once you have collected your 10 TestNet GAS, you will need to convert the GAS to CGAS on the “CGAS Exchange” page.

Note: After clicking the “Exchange” button, the page might take a while to respond as the exchange is dependent on block height and time. Once the “Exchanging” changes back to “Exchange” on the button in the red box, the CGAS conversion is complete.

Once the GAS to CGAS conversion has taken place, you must select the “Top Up” function on the “NNS (.test)” page(In this article, we take .test auction as an example, as it takes much shorter time to experience the whole auction process compared with .neo domain auction.) to deposit your newly converted CGAS into “Your Auction Account”. Once this step has been completed, the CGAS can now be used for bidding on domain names.

Bidding for Domains

Currently there are two kinds of domains you can bid for on the TestNet: .neo domains and .test domains.

The TestNet .neo domain auction simulates the MainNet .neo domain auction, and the entire auction process takes 3–5 days.

The TestNet .test domain auction is a fast auction. Please note: 5 minutes on the .test domain auction represents 1 day, and the entire process takes 15–25 minutes, so users can quickly experience and understand the whole auction process in a short time.

The .test auction domain account and the .neo domain auction account are separate and assets in one account cannot be used in another. Users need to deposit the TestNet CGAS into the .test or .neo domain account seperately for testing according to their own testing needs.

To bid on a domain name, go to the “Neo Name Auction” link and enter the desired domain name. Domain names must be English characters or numbers, and can only be 6 to 32 characters in length. Chinese characters and punctuation are NOT permitted in .neo and .test domain names.

The NEO Name Service platform will automatically track available domain names. If the requested domain name is available or currently under auction, you can participate in the bidding process through an “Start Auction” or “Join auction.”

The participant with the highest bid at the conclusion of an auction will win the domain name. If you need to increase your bid for a domain name during the auction process, you can do so with a minimum of 0.1 CGAS increase at each bid interval.

There are two rounds of bidding on the NEO Name Service: auction period and overtime bidding.

The auction period is the first stage of bidding, which is scheduled to take place over three days. If, on the third and final day of bidding, no new bids are made on the .neo domain name, then the auction period ends. This means the participant who places the highest bid during the first two days will receive rights to the domain name.

However, if a participant places a new high bid on a domain name on the third day, the auction period will go to the second stage: Overtime bidding. The overtime bidding stage has been designed to last for two days, in which case any bid may trigger the end of overtime bidding and render any new bids invalid. The later an individual bids, the more likely it is they will trigger the end of the bidding process. Whoever has the highest bid at the conclusion of the overtime bidding period will recieve rights to the domain. (The bid that triggers the end of the overtime bidding period will not count.)

NEO Name Service advises users to place a bid on their chosen .neo domain name as early as possible, to avoid missing out on rights to the domain.

Post Auction

After an auction has concluded, the winner of the bidding process can claim their domain name on the “My Auction” page.

If you were not successful in your bid you will be able to reclaim the CGAS used during the auction process, however the NEO Name Service system will collect a 10% service fee.

Once your domain is claimed, you will be afforded the opportunity to edit your domain name on the “Domain Management” page. However, you will first need to set up an address resolver, and wait for the block update to take place once you’ve clicked the “Confirm” button. Simply put, the address resolver translates your .test domain into a wallet address or public key.

After the resolver address has been successfully set up, you will be able to perform address mapping of the domain name. Once again, you must wait for the block update after clicking the “Confirm” button.

Now people can send TestNet GAS to that .neo domain you registered in the our wallet ( Currently only NEL wallet supports NNS, but in future, we will work with most NEO wallets to make NNS integrated into most NEO wallets).

Domain Validity and Renewal

A domain will be valid for one year after the bid has successfully concluded.

Additionally, domain names will need to be renewed on an annual basis. You will be prompted to renew the domain name three months prior to its expiry date. Additionally, domain names can be renewed under the “Domain Management” page by selecting the “Renew” button for a one-year extension.