Introducing Subdomains on Unstoppable
Nov 16, 2022Share this article:
Developers can now create a subdomain for any domain they hold
By Michael Williams, Director of Product, Unstoppable Domains
Today, we’re adding the ability for people to create a subdomain for any Unstoppable domain they hold. Subdomains, like nfts.mvwi.wallet, give people more ways to represent themselves and their identity on Web3. Unlike some other naming systems, each Unstoppable subdomain is stored on-chain as its own ERC-721 token, meaning the parent domain owners can’t revoke or control subdomains once created – protecting people and strengthening self-ownership of on-chain identity. This has been a top-requested feature since 2019, and we’re excited to roll out the first iteration for individuals today, with more functionality for Unstoppable partners coming soon.
With this release, subdomains are active at the registry contract level. This means that any domain owner can use the registry contracts to create subdomains for the domains they own. Learn how in our Developer Portal.
In order to mint subdomains, you need to be able to write and execute proxy contracts. Of course, this isn’t the most user-friendly approach, so over the coming months, we'll add subdomain support into our website, mobile apps, resolution libraries and services, and additional products like Login. We'll also work on tools to make issuing bulk subdomains easier for projects, partners and businesses. Long term, our goal is to make creating a new subdomain as simple as registering a new domain on Unstoppable.
Since each subdomain is its own unique ERC-721 token, each subdomain will have the same base features as its parent domain. You’ll be able to use them to store crypto addresses, set reverse records, and soon, with other products like our website builder, Login, and our mobile app. They can even be used to create more subdomains (but try not to get carried away). Because subdomains can’t be revoked by the parent domain owner, they can be resold. Once created, a subdomain is totally independent of the original creator.
With this registry update, domain owners can extend the utility of their Web3 identity by attaching the domain to different aspects of their lives. For instance, I could create art.mvwi.nft to hold the addresses and website for my NFT collection and gaming.mvwi.nft for my in-game addresses. Subdomains also allow you to extend a domain across multiple identities: A family could use the gomez.crypto domain to create family domains for marco.gomez.crypto, marcela.gomez.crypto and more.
Business or project-focused domains open up even more possibilities to simplify the user experience and build a more dynamic Web3 presence, and in the coming months, we’ll introduce more tools for partners and apps that will allow them to create subdomains for their communities at scale. Imagine giving each member of your community a personalized subdomain, or creating unique subdomains to help developers integrate with your platform. A subdomain like contract.aave.crypto could be used to make a contract address easier to find, or treasury.bayc.nft could give people a single link they can use to check balances. Subdomains like michael.pudgypenguins.nft could even be issued by crypto apps to give people access to a Web3 username. Right now, subdomains need to be created one-by-one at the contract level, and we’re looking forward to building more to support our partners in distributing subdomains to their communities. If you’re a partner looking to learn more about what’s coming for subdomains, reach out at bd@unstoppabledomains.com.
We're always looking for ways to add more utility to domains and we can’t wait to see how our community uses subdomains to build and expand their Web3 identity. We’re actively adding support for subdomains across all of our products at Unstoppable – stay tuned for more from us in the coming months!