Returned Names: Entering the Premium Window

Permanent names are meant to last. But not everything we do needs to. Projects change. People pivot. What was once the perfect fit might not make sense anymore.

That’s normal.

That’s also why the Arweave Name System (ArNS) lets you return your permanent name to the protocol. 

If you’re done with a permanent name — maybe you’ve rebranded, maybe the project’s over — you don’t have to hang on to it forever and have that sunk cost. 

You can let it go, someone else can pick it up, and you get part of the fee if it is purchased during the premium name window.

How It Works

If you’re the owner of a permanent name (not a lease), you can return it. No one else can do it for you.

When you return it, the name goes through a short Returned Name Premium (RNP) period first.

During this window, the name can be registered by someone else, but at a premium price, which is intentionally higher than the standard base registration fee. 

If someone does register the name during the RNP window, the protocol splits the premium fee 50/50 — half goes directly to the previous owner (you), and the other half goes to the protocol’s balance.

So in short:

• You return the name.

• It enters a 14-day premium window.

• If purchased during that time:

  • 50% of the premium registration fee goes to you.

  • 50% goes to the protocol’s treasury to support network sustainability.

• After 14 days, if it’s still unclaimed, the name is released for standard-price registration.

The Ultimate Goal: A Healthy Namespace

The ArNS namespace is only as useful as the names in it. 

This system prevents two common problems:

• Name squatting, where unused names clog up the namespace.

• Lost Names, names stopped being used because a project is now defunct 

When people hold onto names they no longer use, it creates friction. Useful names become harder to find. New builders either settle for second-best or overpay in off-market deals.

Permanent Name Return avoids that.

It gives people a reason to release names they no longer need — and gives others a clear path to claim them. No hidden auctions. No third-party resellers. Just a clean loop of usage, return, and reuse — all built into the protocol.