njalla

1. What Is Njalla?

Njalla is a “privacy proxy” domain registrar and VPS provider created by some of the original founders of The Pirate Bay. You do not hold the legal ownership of a domain in your own name: Njalla does, but you retain full practical control via their panel/API. They market this as an extra privacy layer shielding you from data‑hungry registries, overreaching law enforcement, or corporate doxxing.

Think of Njalla as a privacy‑as‑a‑service wrapper between your real identity and the public WHOIS record.

2. Why Use Njalla?

Of course, trust is never eliminated—Njalla must still comply with extreme legal orders. Decide your threat model accordingly.

3. Key Concepts

3.1 Proxy Ownership vs Traditional WHOIS Privacy

Most registrars offer “WHOIS privacy” by redacting your contact details but you remain the legal owner. With Njalla, Njalla itself is the registrant. You are the “user of the domain,” documented only in Njalla’s internal, non‑public records.

3.2 Payment & Identity Separation

Njalla allows signup via:

• Monero (XMR)
• Bitcoin (BTC or Lightning)
• Card / PayPal (less private)

No KYC is requested beyond a working email/Tox/PGP endpoint. Paying with crypto via Tor/I2P maximizes anonymity.

3.3 Services Offered

• Domain registration (CCTLDs & gTLDs; varies by registry policy)
• DNS hosting (NS records you can set or host offsite)
• VPS (KVM‑based, billed monthly)
• VPN (OpenVPN/WireGuard endpoints in multiple countries)

4. System & OpSec Prerequisites

1. Tor Browser or another Tor‑capable HTTP client (Njalla runs a Hidden Service).
2. PGP keypair for support tickets and account recovery.
3. Crypto wallet (optional but recommended) — prefer XMR for best fungibility.

5. Creating a Njalla Account

1. Visit http://njalladn5qw65oa3.onion (or https://njal.la if clearnet) via Tor.

2. Click Sign Up. Provide:

   • Username
   • Working email or Tox ID or Jabber
   • PGP public key (for critical comms)

3. Choose a strong password; optionally enable TOTP 2‑factor immediately after signup (Account → Security).

4. Fund your account balance (skip if paying per order with card/PayPal):

   • Select Add Funds → Monero.
   • Send at least enough to cover one domain + VAT (~15–20 USD equivalent). Wait 10‑conf or 2‑conf for BTC LN.

6. Registering Your First Domain (Step‑by‑Step)

6.1 Search & Cart

1. In the dashboard, enter your desired domain name.
2. Njalla returns a list of available TLD options and yearly pricing.
3. Click Add to Cart for the TLD you want.

6.2 “Registrant” Details

You won’t fill any WHOIS info yourself; Njalla inserts its proxy details. For certain ccTLDs requiring local presence (e.g., .FR, .DE), Njalla may be unable to register; consult the supported‑TLD list.

6.3 DNS Settings

Before checkout, decide:

• Use Njalla nameservers (default) — quick start.
• Custom NS — point to Cloudflare, Bunny, self‑hosted BIND/NSD, etc.

If using Njalla’s DNS, you can pre‑populate A/AAAA/CNAME/MX/TXT records.

6.4 Checkout

1. Confirm cart.
2. Choose Pay with Balance (crypto) or direct method.
3. Approve.
4. Wait ≤ 60 s — domain usually appears in Domains → Active.

Tip: Some TLDs require email confirmation links. Njalla forwards them to your login email. Complete within 15 days or risk suspension.

7. Managing DNS Records

Navigate to Domains → Manage → DNS.

DNS propagation depends on TTL (default 3600 s). Njalla’s anycast NS are reasonably fast.

8. Linking to a VPS / External Hosting

1. Spin up a VPS (Njalla or external).
2. Set A/AAAA to the server’s IP.
3. Configure a free Let’s Encrypt TLS cert via Certbot (HTTP‑01) once DNS resolves.
4. Harden SSH: disable password login; add WireGuard to access via private exit.

For extra paranoia, host your site via Tor (.onion) and use the Onion‑Location header to signal browsers optionally.

9. Using the Njalla API (Advanced)

Generate an API Token under Account → API.

Common endpoints:

• GET /domains — list domains.
• POST /dns/{domain}/record — add/update records.
• DELETE /dns/{id} — remove record.

Use curl or a Python wrapper:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
     https://api.njal.la/v2/domains

Always route requests over Tor; Njalla rate‑limits clearnet abuse.

10. Payment Top‑Ups & Invoices

• Crypto top‑ups accrue as account credit; unused credit never expires.
• VAT: Njalla adds EU VAT if you’re in the EEA (based on self‑declared country). Provide a valid VAT ID to zero‑rate.
• Receipts: Exist but show Njalla as the buyer (since they are the registrant). Good for company bookkeeping with privacy.

11. Security & Privacy Best Practices

1. Always access via Tor—including API calls. Clearnet leaks IP metadata.
2. Enable 2FA immediately.
3. Use PGP for support. Save encrypted backups of Njalla emails; they are the only proof of control in worst‑case disputes.
4. Compartmentalize: Separate Njalla login email from personal inbox; consider a Proton or Tutanota alias.
5. Monitor renewals: Enable auto‑renew or set calendar reminders; Njalla will email reminders, but your hidden identity may not catch them.

12. Acceptable Use & Legal Considerations

Njalla is privacy‑friendly but not a bulletproof black‑market host. They forbid:

• Child sexual abuse material
• Spam / mass malware distribution
• Large‑scale copyright infringement (TPB‑style is ironically tolerated case‑by‑case)
• Botnet C2

Serious abuses will see services suspended. Court orders targeting you may still propagate through Njalla after legal review.

13. Moving Domains Into or Out of Njalla

13.1 Transfer To Njalla

1. Unlock domain at current registrar.
2. Obtain EPP/Auth code.
3. In Njalla Transfers tab, paste domain + code.
4. Approve email‐based confirmation.

Privacy benefit begins once transfer finalizes.

13.2 Transfer From Njalla

1. Request unlock via support ticket (takes up to 24 h).
2. Njalla provides Auth code; you become the registrant once transfer completes with new registrar.
3. WHOIS will then show your own details unless you add a privacy layer.

14. Troubleshooting & FAQ

15. Glossary

16. Next Steps

1. Harden your Njalla account (2FA, PGP).
2. Register a low‑stakes test domain and practice DNS changes.
3. Deploy a static site or hidden service via your new domain.
4. Evaluate if Njalla’s VPS/VPN meet your latency + jurisdiction needs.

Stay private, stay online! 🕵️‍♂️🌐