What Are SNS Names?

By Satoshi | June 17, 2025

Human-Readable Identities for Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s future is more than financial—it’s also personal.

Enter SNS (Sats Name System), a standard for inscribing human-readable names (e.g., alice.sats) right onto the Bitcoin blockchain using Ordinals. SNS transforms wallets into identities, messaging handles, and community badges—all built natively on Bitcoin, no gatekeepers, no smart contracts.

How SNS Names Work

  • First-Is-First Registration
    SNS launched on block 777,847 (Feb 22, 2023). From then on, the first person to inscribe a name owns it. You can dig in a little more at docs.satsnames.org

  • Everything Lives on Bitcoin
    Names are recorded via JSON data inscribed on sats—no off-chain database or permissioned registrar required. docs.satsnames.org has more information about Namespaces for anyone interested in the technical side.

  • Namespaces for Organization
    Common namespaces include .sats, .ord, .btc, .gm, etc. Over 100 exist already, each defined by its first-registration instruction.

  • Optional JSON Metadata
    Advanced registrations allow avatars, reverse-address resolution, and relay pointers—fully customizable via JSON5.

By The Numbers

By the Numbers

  • Over 400k .sats names registered

  • Over 1.8M names across multiple namespaces

  • Around 65k users hold .sats today

  • Supported on all major Ordinals marketplaces and wallets

Why SNS Names Matter

  • Decentralized Identity: Your name is secured by Bitcoin’s blockchain—immutable, censorship-resistant, no central authority.

  • Simple & Neutral: No fees beyond miner costs, no governance, no minting restrictions, just first-come, first-served.

  • Universal Recognition: Names can be wallets, social handles (Twitter, Nostr), collectibles, or branded assets.

Core Use Cases For SNS Names

• Replace Unfriendly Addresses

Swap long Bitcoin addresses for yourname.sats—easy to remember, share, and use.

• Social Handles & Branding

Use your name in chat apps, Twitter, or Nostr. Show the world: you’re maximus.sats.

• Digital Collectibles

Rare names are being snapped up as digital assets. Some have sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

• Wallet Interoperability

Wallets like Xverse and Ordinals Wallet have built-in support to resolve .sats names—simplifying payments and identity.

How to Get Your Own SNS Name

You can browse SNS Names at sites like:

You can also buy, sell, or create your own SNS Names using wallets that support them like Xverse, Hiro, and Unisat.

How to Inscribe A New SNS Name

  • Install a wallet that supports SNS (like Xverse or Hiro).

  • Visit an inscription platform (e.g., OrdinalsBot).

  • Check name availability, fill in optional JSON fields (avatar, etc.), and inscribe.

  • Pay the fee—with only one name per inscription allowed—then enjoy your new identity

Start Here: How to Buy SNS Names

If you're curious about how to buy, where to find, and how to protect SNS Names, we’ve written a full step-by-step guide for you.

Final Thoughts

SNS brings identity to Bitcoin. Dramatically simplified, fully on-chain, and identity by inscription—SNS empowers individuals to reclaim their digital names without reliance on web2 platforms or permissioned systems.

Bitcoin is growing a human layer—and SNS names are the avatars.

Want to go deeper? Follow us at 21MillionBTCs.com — your signal source for SNS Names, Bitcoin culture, and escaping the fiat hamster wheel.

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