# Using OneName/Namecoin blockchain as global nickname registry

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-onename-namecoin-blockchain-as-global-nickname-registry/14057>\
**Category:** Site feedback\
**Tags:** discourse-hub\
**Created:** [Março 24, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-onename-namecoin-blockchain-as-global-nickname-registry/14057 "2014-03-24T16:03:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

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**Author:** ![Jeremy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jeremy/32/130166_2.png) [@Jeremy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jeremy)\
**Post date:** [Março 26, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-onename-namecoin-blockchain-as-global-nickname-registry/14057/11 "2014-03-26T19:00:56Z")

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@ryanshea How does a user authenticate ownership of the name? Does the namecoin protocol allow you to sign a message demonstrating ownership of a particular key/name? (I guess this would be like using a BitCoin wallet’s private key to sign a message demonstrating ownership of it, but I don’t know if that’s how it works.)

Is the passphrase used by [onename.io](http://onename.io) using some kind of standard way of deriving a key, such that the same passphrase could also be used to modify the record by other namecoin/onename clients? (i.e. does [onename.io](http://onename.io) create any sort of lock-in?)

I find the idea attractive, I just want to make sure I understand the way it is decentralized.

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