NamecoinNMC
The first fork of Bitcoin's code to run its own network: a naming system for the .bit domain that pioneered merged mining.
The wiki's angle: Namecoin is Bitcoin's oldest sibling and the original merged-mining chain, a cypherpunk naming project rather than a monetary rival.[1][3]
Announcement
Vincent Durham, posting as vinced, announced Namecoin on Bitcointalk as “a distributed naming system based on Bitcoin”, with code at github.com/vinced/namecoin[1]. Names were registered with name_new, name_firstupdate and name_update, and expired after 12,000 blocks unless renewed[1]. Two namespaces were defined at launch: DNS, aimed at a new distributed TLD, “possibly .bit”, and personal[1].
Chain parameters
Namecoin Core's chain parameters create the genesis block with timestamp 1303000001 and a 50 NMC reward[2]. Auxiliary proof of work starts at height 19,200, before which only legacy blocks are valid[2]. P2SH, CSV and SegWit are enforced from height 475,000[2].
Merged mining
The merged mining specification on the Bitcoin Wiki notes that its standard is the one used by Namecoin, with work done on a parent chain such as Bitcoin accepted on the auxiliary chain[3]. See Merged mining.
Heard on Bitcoin Takeover
Mike Carson of Impervious, discussing his Spaces naming protocol on S15 E51 (August 2024), noted that the “first altcoin was Namecoin”.[4]
References
- primaryvinced, “[announce] Namecoin - a distributed naming system based on Bitcoin”, Bitcointalk topic 6017 (18 Apr 2011) [archived]
- primaryNamecoin Core, src/kernel/chainparams.cpp (genesis time, AuxPoW start height, soft-fork heights) [archived]
- secondaryBitcoin Wiki (en.bitcoin.it), “Merged mining specification” [archived]
- episodeS15 E51: Mike Carson on Namecoin and Spaces▶ listen at 10:02timestamp transcript-derived, pending a listen [archived]