What are Aliases?

We would like to thank you for supporting Zano as we work hard to become the project that is the most scalable, secure and easy to use. Since some community queries have been around what aliases are and how do they work, we decided to make an article to elaborate it further.

What are Aliases?

An alias registration is a special kind of transaction that includes a record of an alias assignment. The system core validates the record and checks the availability of the name. Once validation is successful, the transaction reaches the blockchain and a new record is created in the alias database. Alias, for example: @easytouse, a human-readable name associated with a payment address and text comment, which is stored in the blockchain. This alias provides a short, easy-to-remember name rather than a long and confusing string of random characters. Blockchain storage ensures that aliases are protected from being altered or commandeered.

How do they work on Zano?

Zano users can easily send transactions to an alias: their wallet automatically checks whether the name is registered in the blockchain, and then obtains the associated public keys to which the transaction will be sent. In the event of a missing alias, the wallet will generate an error report and no funds will be sent or lost. Aliases can be used for more than just Zano transactions. Think of them as a decentralized address book with universal IDs that can be used for various services based on the Zano platform.

To reduce the possibility of phishing, we set limitations on alias registrations. Users can use any combination of the lower-case Latin letters a-z and the Arabic numerals 0–9. Additionally, there is a length minimum of 6 characters, and a maximum length of 12. For more info, read our Whitepaper.

We'd love to know what you guys think of Zano's Aliases. Give us your thoughts and feedback in the Zano Discord/Telegram/Reddit groups, and if you'd like to receive all the latest Zano news (such as the bi-weekly reports) delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe.