---
title: Getting Started
description: 
published: 1
date: 2024-09-11T10:10:36.959Z
tags: 
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2024-02-09T03:20:39.508Z
---

# Getting started

## Use a Handshake DNS Resolver
[Resolving Handshake Domains](/resolve)

## Buy Handshake coins (HNS)
In order to acquire Handshake names, you'll need to first purchase Handshake coins (HNS). You can find an updated list of exchanges that accepts Handshake on [CoinGecko](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/handshake#markets).

Check out [Buy Handshake coins (HNS) - A walkthrough for purchasing HNS](https://learn.namebase.io/starting-from-zero/buy-hns) to learn how to use Namebase to buy HNS/


## Get a Handshake name

There are a few ways to get a name on Handshake:

- Buying directly from Handshake via [auction process](/auction)
- Buying from a secondhand marked such as [Namebase](/namebase) or [ShakeStation](/shakestation)
- Claim a [reserved name](/reserved_names).

**Namebase**
Visit [Namebase](/namebase) or [ShakeStation](/shakestation) and use the search to find names you want to own. Alternatively use an [Explorer](/explorers) to search for a domain.

**Owned — listed for sale**
This name's auction ended, the name is owned by someone else and it's up for sale — you can immediately purchase it. If the seller has enabled "Make an Offer", you'll also be able to make them an offer for their name.

**Owned — unlisted**
This name's auction ended, the name is owned by someone else and it isn't up for sale. If the owner has enabled "Make an Offer", you'll be able to make them an offer on their name.

**Unopened auction**
This Handshake name auction hasn't started and placing a bid on this — around 30 minutes to confirm — will begin the auction.

**Active auction**
This Handshake name auction is underway.

**Revealing**
This name's auction recently ended and the winner will receive their name once the reveal period ends.

**Reserved**
This name is either one of the existing ~1,500 blacklisted traditional TLDs or is reserved for a top 100,000 Alexa website.


## Use your Handshake name

Check out the [using_names](/using_names) page to see what you can use your Handshake domain for.

