PeerName, a leading provider of decentralized domain names, has officially relaunched its .onion domain sales for the Tor network.

The company has developed proprietary technology that delivers cryptographic keys directly to users without storing them in any form—leaving no traces on disks or in logs. As a result, PeerName does not know which specific domain a customer has ordered.

A Proven Track Record

PeerName previously sold .onion domains for more than five years, from 2018 to 2023. However, due to the lack of clear regulations and a defined legal framework at the time, sales were suspended in 2023.

In 2026, the company reintroduced .onion domain sales under a new legal framework and with an improved delivery process. PeerName has also invested in upgraded server infrastructure, allowing domains to be generated and delivered to customers more quickly.

Solving the Private Key Challenge

Because .onion domains are completely decentralized and not managed by any central authority, securely transferring the private key to the client presents a significant technical and legal challenge.

The private key must be delivered in a way that ensures:

•     No backup copy is retained by the company

•     No third party is involved in the transfer

•     No data is written to disk

•     No trace remains in system logs

PeerName has developed technology that enables secure key transfers without storing the key at any stage.

Each domain is generated (“mined”) by specialized servers, as significant computing power is required to find domains matching user-specified prefixes. When a suitable domain is discovered, the server sends the key directly to the client.

At no point is the domain written to disk. The cryptographic keys exist only in temporary memory for a fraction of a second before being transmitted and permanently destroyed.

This technical achievement significantly reduces legal and security risks for both the company and its customers.

About .onion Domains

.onion domains have existed since 2004 and are primarily used within the Tor network. The onion-routing technique employed by Tor inspired the “onion” name. Unlike traditional domains, .onion is not part of the public Internet DNS root.

Technically, .onion addresses are derived from public–private cryptographic key pairs, making them inherently decentralized.

With appropriate software, such as the Tor Browser, internet applications and users can access .onion websites by routing requests through the Tor network.

This system is designed to make it difficult for both content providers and users to trace each other’s identities, while also protecting communications from third-party interception.

On September 9, 2015, .onion was designated as a “special-use domain” by IANA, ICANN, and the IETF. This designation prevents the domain from appearing in or being replicated within the traditional DNS system.

About PeerName

Founded in 2014, PeerName provides truly decentralized domain names. Over the years, the company has offered various domain extensions, with its recent focus exclusively on domains that cannot be censored, suspended, or seized.

.onion domains strongly align with this mission, which is why they remain a central part of the company’s strategy.

PeerName prioritizes infrastructure quality and security. The company currently manages more than 7,000 domains for its clients, some of which are held in custody.

Due to heightened security considerations, PeerName does not offer modern web domains based on smart contracts, as such domains can be censored or revoked by the organizations that control their underlying systems.

Official website: https://peername.com/

Dot onion domains: https://peername.com/onion-domains/