Design: handle registry consensus (squat resistance without central authority)

[iduartgomez]

Open design question split out from tracking #8.

Question

How do we map @handle → pubkey in a way that's squat-resistant without a central authority?

Options sketched

• First-write-wins, single global registry contract: simple, but registry contract becomes a hotspot and one squatter sweep early.
• Stake/burn registration: requires a token / proof-of-burn mechanism — adds complexity.
• Namespace sharding (e.g. prefix-keyed registries): reduces hotspot, splits squatter sweeps across shards.
• Per-user contract self-asserts handle, conflicts resolved by ???: punts the problem but breaks lookup.

Outcome

Decision recorded here, then drives the handle registry bullet of the Users / identity workstream.

Parent: #8