The world of web3 has seen substantial growth in the past few years, and the world has been moving towards a more digital way of interaction, where it’s heavily relying on a decentralized internet. Unstoppable Domains is an NFT domain provider offering users a platform to buy and sell NFT domains.
Unstoppable Domains are NFT domains that put the user in full control of their data. Your domain is your cryptocurrency address, your login to the decentralized web, and your universal username. Once you buy an Unstoppable domain, you own it forever.
In this article, we will walk through exactly what Unstoppable Domains are, and why you might want to consider getting one of your own.
What are Unstoppable Domains?
One major part of the game is domains, where previously in web2, they were rented. As an owner of a domain, you have to pay renewal fees regularly to keep it. This is where Unstoppable Domains comes in and changes the game completely. Allowing you to own your domain, and have full control over it.
This San Francisco-based company was created in 2018, with the purpose of acting like a gateway, or link between web2 and web3, and eventually moved entirely into web3.
Unstoppable domains is a domain name service that relies on blockchain technology. So instead of using Domain name services, also known as DNSs, Unstoppable domains use what is called crypto name services (CNS).
Some extensions offered by Unstoppable Domains are .crypto, .zil, .wallet, .nft, etc. Belonging to various blockchains such as Ethereum, Zilliqa, Polygon, and more. Meaning that when you create your domain, it will be registered on one of these public blockchains, instead of on the private databases of regular DNS providers.
What sets Unstoppable Domains apart from traditional web domain providers, is the fact that it offers complete independent control over the domains you create. When you purchase a domain from Unstoppable Domains, you fully own it instead of just renting it out.
You can then edit, transfer, or link your domain to any crypto service you want, without the interference of Unstoppable domains.
Furthermore, you can access your websites natively on the Opera and Brave browsers, with a simple DNS change in Chrome and Firefox, or with the Unstoppable extension on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Why use Unstoppable Domains?
You may want to use Unstoppable Domains if you have the desire to own your domain name, access the decentralized web, send and receive crypto payments, or as an investment. Additionally, Unstoppable domains charge a one-time ownership fee compared to traditional DNS.
Generally speaking, purchasing a domain from Unstoppable domains doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all. Especially given the fact that this new concept has gained a lot of traffic, and people are gradually warming up to the idea that Unstoppable Domains can be used even beyond the crypto environment.
Furthermore, buying from Unstoppable Domains is a one-time purchase, and with domain prices being as low as $20, and reaching up to $1000, it’s a very small investment, and absolutely worth it when you take into consideration that you’ll own the domain forever.
Buying a domain for your name or your company’s is definitely encouraged, and you might regret not doing it in the future.
Also, when you see the exponential growth of the crypto world, and how it’s being incorporated into our lives, you can assume that people may be buying Unstoppable domains, just to have an easier way to perform their crypto transactions.
Considering Unstoppable domains can act as a payment router, meaning that you can have one address that can receive 276 different types of crypto-related assets, this makes it so you will only ever need to know your domain name, and the domain will route your payments to the wallets you have set up for each cryptocurrency.
Unstoppable Domains can also be used to build websites with useful dApps built-in and eventually it’ll be more useful than having a traditional domain.
Should you replace your traditional domain with an Unstoppable Domain?
At the moment it is not advisable to replace your traditional domain with an Unstoppable domain. Rather, keep your current domain running and supplement it with an Unstoppable domain. Keep in mind that both domain options use different technologies, so it will be challenging to keep them updated simultaneously.
Blockchain-based domains are clearly the future of web3, and perhaps this future is closer than we think, but we’re still not at the point where we can fully rely on them for our day-to-day website hosting needs.
Pros and cons of Unstoppable Domains
Unstoppable domains use different technology and systems from traditional domains, meaning that they’re not similar in functionality. Therefore, the choice of picking one over the other needs to be an educated one.
So while everyone knows the good and bad sides of traditional domains, here are some pros and cons regarding Unstoppable domains.
Pros
- One-time purchase
Perhaps one of the best features of Unstoppable domains is their one-time purchase feature. Once you buy a domain, it’s yours forever, without any annual renewal fees. Because you’re essentially buying an NFT that will be added to your wallet, proving your ownership of the domain.
- No censorship
Unlike traditional domains (like .com) that are subject to regional jurisdiction, and blocking, your Unstoppable domain that is registered on the public blockchain is nearly impossible to take down.
- Full ownership of the domain
Having a domain registered on the blockchain means that you have full control over it. And should you choose to transfer it, it’s easier than traditional domains and practically instant, because all you have to do is transfer the NFT to the buyer’s wallet.
- Support for dApps
Decentralized apps are natively supported on Unstoppable domains websites, making it easier to implement them, and use them.
- Benefits from its blockchain base
One of the most notable features of blockchain technology is its extraordinary security. Cyber attacks on your blockchain-based domain are virtually impossible. Besides that, these domains simplify the process of sending and receiving cryptocurrencies, as more than 280 types are currently supported and can be traded.
Cons
- Risk of not gaining widespread use
Since the concept of the Unstoppable domain is still relatively new, there is no way to know for certain if it will be adopted on a larger scale.
- Still not fully supported on all browsers
Despite Unstoppable Domains being natively supported on popular web browsers like Brave and Opera, other browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge still require DNS modifications or addons to access them. This may not remain a problem for too long as support for other browsers is in the works, but for now, it’s still a negative point.
- Web hosting is still problematic
Although it is not impossible to host your standard website on an Unstoppable domain, it’s not a simple process. You will need to use a specific peer-to-peer decentralized infrastructure for hosting, such as IPFS. But the technology is still in the works and not yet optimized.
That means that web hosting on Unstoppable Domains will eventually be more practical and more preferable than traditional domains, but we’re not there just yet.
- Service is viewed only for cryptocurrencies
Despite Unstoppable Domains being near the point of being indistinguishable from traditional domains, people still see them as mere platforms for crypto-related services. Which does hurt their image and delays their mainstream adoption.
How to buy an Unstoppable Domain
When you purchase a domain from Unstoppable Domains, you are in fact minting an NFT. So, how do you get your own Unstoppable domain?
To buy your own Unstoppable domain, follow these steps.
- Go to Unstoppable Domains.
- Click on the search button at the top on Unstoppable Domains.
- You’ll need to sign in or create an account.
- After deciding on the domain you want, you can add it to your cart and checkout.
- You have the option to pay with Credit Card, PayPal, and Crypto.
- Next, confirm your identity by verifying the OTP sent to you via email by Unstoppable Domains.
- Now, select a wallet for claiming, and then you will initiate a transaction to send your NFT to your address. Once the transaction is done, you will have successfully claimed your domain.
Once you’ve claimed your Unstoppable domain, you now have the option to link up your cryptocurrency addresses to it.
For example, if you add your Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses, people will be able to send you Bitcoin and Ethereum to your human-readable Unstoppable domain address rather than having to input your alphanumeric Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses.
NOTE: Unstoppable Domains have no renewal fees, no minting fees, and no gas fees since the company uses the Polygon sidechain to mint your domain name.
How to sell your Unstoppable Domain
Once your domain is minted on the blockchain, you can sell it right there on the Unstoppable Domains website. You will be able to display a “For sale by owner” tag next to your domain in the website search function, alongside a contact email address for a potential buyer. Also, you can use a secondary NFT market to sell your Unstoppable domain.
To sell your Unstoppable domain on their website, go to Manage for your minted domain, select Contact, and add your email address, then choose Sell Domain and I want to sell this domain. After clicking Save Changes, this will add the For sale by owner tag next to the domain on the website search menu.
If you want more exposure, as well as the ability to set your own price or auction for a more conventional and automated sale, you can list your domain for sale on other markets, like Opensea or Mintable.
Are Unstoppable Domains safe?
Unstoppable domains are safe because once you claim the domain, it exists under your address on the blockchain, meaning they are as secure as the blockchain itself. Also, the domain cannot be censored or blocked by anyone other than you, so your website is never at risk of being down due to outside interference.
The Unstoppable domains website where you purchase the domains is safe as well and can be secured with two-factor authentication.
Final thoughts
Unstoppable Domains are a very interesting innovation, and one of the first technologies that have a real chance of replacing, or at the very least supplementing DNS for the internet.
So perhaps now may be the ideal time to buy your Unstoppable domain. It’s really no surprise that the research for blockchain-based domains has skyrocketed, as more people are looking into this, hoping to be the first in line and cash in on this new find.
While it’s still too soon to tell whether unstoppable domains will stand the test of time, they really cannot be ignored any longer.
Unstoppable Domains is making the concept of blockchain and cryptocurrency more friendly to users. By supporting simple and user-friendly addresses, a decentralized web is the next frontier in blockchain, and companies like Unstoppable Domains are certainly at the forefront of manifesting that reality.
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