What are Blockchain Domains?

Blockchain domains are an exciting development in the decentralized world. They have the power to change the way we think about domains and online real estate, and they add a new layer of transparency, functionality, and security.

In this article, we’ll take a dive into blockchain domains. You’ll see how they work and how ordinary users can start accessing the benefits even before the decentralized web hits the mainstream.

In the video above, Matthew Gould, CEO at Unstoppable Domains, talks about how blockchain domains are essentially suites of smart contracts — software written on a public blockchain. This gives them a number of unique features and advantages over traditional domains.

The history of blockchain domains goes back to the early days of cryptocurrency. One of the first crypto platforms was called Namecoin, and it was built so users could register their own domain names on Bitcoin. However, in the pre-smart contract world, the functionality of this platform was limited.

In today’s world, with smart contracts and the ability to express complex relationships, the potential for blockchain domains is much more exciting.

Blockchain domains aren’t stored on a server. They’re held in the public registry, on publicly accessible blockchains.

This means anyone can look at the records, providing an impressive level of openness and transparency. On top of that, users can benefit from enhanced security — each user holds the permissions to make updates to their domain name, which minimizes worries about servers getting hacked or domain names getting stolen.

Blockchain domains differ from regular, traditional domains in several important ways. As mentioned above, blockchain domains are more open and secure due to the transparent and decentralized nature of blockchain technology.

On top of that, they offer more functionality for end users. It’s possible to build programs on top of your domain and run them like apps, inspect the records of existing domains, and build software to interact with them.

Whereas traditional domains are typically fairly one dimensional and serve a few narrow purposes, blockchain domains come with much more scope for interaction and tinkering.

On top of the benefits we already mentioned (openness, security, and increased functionality), there are some other more specific reasons to use a blockchain domain today.

One is the ability to send cryptocurrency more easily.

Another major advantage to blockchain domains is the ability to build decentralized websites. You can point your blockchain domain name to a website on a peer-to-peer hosting platform like IPFS, for example. It’s also possible to connect domains to social media accounts to verify identity and set up things like email and chat protocols associated with your domain.

Blockchain domains exist on the decentralized web. Right now, blockchain domains are mainly being used by crypto users and blockchain enthusiasts who want to get a head start with the technology and access its benefits when it comes to sharing crypto.

People who are active and well-known in the crypto and blockchain space are also getting domains, in the same way that any high-profile figure in the off-chain world would want their own traditional .com domain.

And there are also lots of people using blockchain domains simply to learn about the space and get involved in decentralized technology in a more hands-on way.

You can buy a domain with Unstoppable Domains, and unlike traditional domains, there is no renewal fee.

Registering a blockchain domain is easy with Unstoppable Domains. All you have to do is go to the website, type the domain you want into the search bar to see if it is available, and follow the steps to register it.

There are more detailed guides available on the site and on YouTube showing you how to register your own domain.

To learn more about blockchain domains, visit our website and find all the information you need to get started with your own blockchain domain name.

And to hear regular conversations with fascinating people from the blockchain space — aimed at people of all experience levels — tune into The Unstoppable Podcast.