How a quiet deal actually runs.
No marketplace, no auction, no mass mailing. One named partner, one approach to the right person, one private room, and a settlement where funds and TLD move together. Here is every step, from the first message to the day the record shows a new holder.
You hold the asset.
You come to us with a TLD, we value it, map the buyers and run the sale. The buyer never learns who you are.
You want the asset.
You tell us what you need, we research the holder and approach on your behalf. The holder never learns who is buying.
Mandate or brief
A holder sends the TLD and proof of holding. An organization sends the name it needs and why. Either way, one partner reads it, and an NDA is in place before any detail is shared.
- Holders have nothing to sign: the desk verifies the holding wallet on the public registry record. We never ask for a private key or seed phrase.
- Organizations can brief us through counsel.
- No exclusivity is imposed.
Record check and valuation
We read the registry record: holder, history, subnames issued, listings. Then we value the asset in writing: string quality, trademark TLD or market TLD, logical buyers, economics.
- A clean TLD is worth more than a crowded one.
- For buy-side files, this is the clean title check you receive before committing.
Buyer map, or holder research
For a sale, the short list of organizations that can say yes, and the exact person inside each one. For a trademark TLD, that is legal and brand protection, never marketing. For a purchase, how to reach the holder through channels they can see.
- We never try to unmask the person behind a wallet.
- For market TLDs, the shortlist size is stated in the room only when it is true.
One note, one private room
A short note to the right person with a reference, and a link to an unlisted private room. The room holds the onchain record, what the organization would hold, a starting launch roadmap and the validity date of the terms.
- No mass mailing. No marketplace. No public page, ever.
- One follow-up at most. A clear no ends the approach.
Terms
A single counterpart on each side. Price and conditions are agreed privately and written down with a real validity date. Neither side learns more about the other than it needs to close.
- No invented deadlines or competing offers.
- Nothing is issued under the TLD while it is under discussion.
Escrow and transfer
Settlement runs through marketplace escrow, on the venue both sides agree on: the buyer funds it, the TLD is transferred, the funds are released. We verify the new holder on the registry and share the transaction with both sides.
- Our fee is paid separately, through a shaka.deal payment link, and any referral partner's share is split from it onchain.
- Both sides stay under NDA after closing.
Activation, if you want it
The new holder puts the TLD to work: verified wallets, payment names, group subnames, agent identities. Launch PR is available when the new holder decides to be heard, and not a day before.
No price list. On purpose.
A trademark TLD with one logical buyer and a market TLD with a shortlist of operators are not the same job. Every mandate is quoted privately and explained in writing before any approach is made.
The structure is set out on the first exchange, in writing, for your side of the file only.
The sale settles in escrow between buyer and seller. Our fee is a fixed amount on a separate shaka.deal payment link, never a cut of the price.
What you pay, when and for what is agreed before we contact anyone.
Questions about the process
How long does a file take?
A typical file runs six to twelve weeks from mandate to transfer. The counterparty sets the pace. Some close in days, some need a quarter.
Who will I deal with?
One named partner, from first note to closing. You get their first name and direct address privately when the file opens.
How is payment secured?
Through escrow on a marketplace both sides accept. The buyer funds the escrow, the TLD is transferred, the funds are released. Neither side has to trust the other, or us.
What if the other side says no?
Then the approach ends. We report back, and for buy-side files we can keep the asset under watch in case the situation changes.
Can the approach be made through our lawyers?
Yes. Many organizations prefer to be briefed through counsel, and we are set up for it.