Blockchain Domain Names

Traditional domain names ending in .com/.net/.org/etc are extremely fragile. Not only do these domain names need to be paid for annually, but they are all registered with the "Internet Corporation of Assigned Names" (ICANN) and subject to ever-changing rules and regulations. Furthermore, if you forget to pay your annual renewal fees, or your automatic payment method is declined/expires then your domain name lapses and your website goes offline. Some domain registrars like Epik offer "Forever Domains" that never expire, but prices start at nearly $400! Isn't there a more affordable way to register and own a domain name without annual fees?

That's where Unstoppable Domains comes in! Unstoppable Domains uses blockchain technology to register .crypto, .zil or .eth domain extensions for only about $20-$40. Blockchain-based domain names are an emerging technology that allows users to actually own their domain names. They never expire and nobody can take it away from you (unless you give away the private key to your crypto wallet, which you should never do anyway!). 

How It Works

Essentially, instead of registering your domain name with an organization like ICANN, crypto domains are registered on the Ethereum blockchain. The "blockchain" is a digital decentralized ledger (database) where data can be written, but never copied or deleted. This means that once something is written to a block on the blockchain, that data cannot be modified or deleted.

In order to register a blockchain crypto domain name you only need to pay the transaction fees (gas) that are necessary to write data to the blockchain. Once that data is written and confirmed it is yours forever! 

Side Note: Gas fees on the Ethereum blockchain vary depending on network activity. Also, every time you make a change to your crypto domain name you'll need to pay transaction fees to write the new data to the blockchain. So to avoid paying extra gas fees it's recommended to double-check the configuration a few times before saving.

Use Cases

Crypto blockchain domain names were originally conceived as a way to streamline cryptocurrency transactions by linking long 40-character wallet addresses for various types of cryptocurrency to a human-readable string.

However, the utility of blockchain domains extends far beyond crypto payments. In a previous article we discussed how to build a decentralized static website on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). With Unstoppable Domains, you can link your IPFS website "hash" to your .crypto, .eth or .zil domain name. For example, you can reach the same decentralized AtmoVantage website using any of the options below:

1. https://ipfs.atmovantage.com
2. https://ipfs.io/ipfs/bafybeigb3vxxwim246xnyb5hi2ufwmmfuegu464727vrrw33yjskae5kwe/
3. ipfs://bafybeigb3vxxwim246xnyb5hi2ufwmmfuegu464727vrrw33yjskae5kwe/ (only works in Brave browsers)
4. atmovantage.on.fleek.co
5. atmovantage.crypto/ (only works in Brave browsers)

Limitations

As previously-mentioned, blockchain domain names are an emerging technology and are not natively-supported by most web browsers. With Unstoppable Domains you can configure your crypto domain to point to an IPFS hash. This method would allow browsers like Brave to view the website. Other browsers, however, would need to adjust their DNS settings (see this guide). 

Final Thoughts 

Decentralized, permissionless technologies like IPFS, blockchains and crypto domains are becoming the defacto solution to heavy-handed censorship by Big Tech and world governments. We're on the brink of a technological revolution that takes control of the Internet away from governments and giant corporations, and puts it in the hands of the everyday person. A blockchain-based Internet does away with digital gatekeepers and arbiters of "truth". 

Although crypto domain names still have some pretty big limitations to wide-scale adoption, they are quickly rising in popularity and utility. Even if you aren't ready to launch a crypto-only domain name website, now is the time to at least register one and claim it for future use. Like traditional domain names, there can't be any duplicates so once it's registered you'll either have to buy it (if that person is willing to sell) or find a different variation. Many missed out on registering valuable .com domain names during the early days of the Dot Com boom because they thought the Internet was a passing fad. Crypto domains are poised to be integral to the emerging technological revolution of Web 3.0. 

Need help purchasing a crypto domain name? AtmoVantage can help!