ETH Domain
August 23, 2021
OVERVIEW
I recently bought my first .eth domain. You can watch an interview with Nick Johnson, lead developer of ENS (Ethereum Naming Service), on the Crypto Native Podcast.
Where
On the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), more specifically at app.ens.domains. ENS is a decentralized domain name registry.
How
First, I needed Ethereum. You can’t buy an .eth domain with your debit card or Apple Pay. You’ll need crypto. So I tried out the Rainbow wallet because I heard great things on Twitter about ease-of-use and onboarding. I was able to use Apple Pay to buy Eth, and from there I connected my wallet to ENS and was able to purchase my .eth domain in just a couple steps.
You can watch this short video by Nader Dabit showing how to buy an .eth domain if you prefer a visual guide to doing so.
Why
Signaling
As a developer, this is a simple way to signal to the community at large that I’m “on board” and willing & eager to dive deeper into said community. Something as easy as setting your Twitter name to your .eth domain is a simple way to let others know your interests and can open a door or start a conversation.
Simplicity
You can send ETH or NFTs directly to someone, via Rainbow.me for example, by just having their .eth domain name. This new domain name is an alias for my wallet address, which is a long, complicated hash that isn’t user-friendly.
Security
The big differentiator here is that this name service is decentralized. Also, this is the Ethereum naming service so we benefit from Ethereum’s built-in high security on their platform.
Cheap (kinda)
Just like with traditional domains, you want to get in sooner than later. If possible you want just your first name, if not your full name, etc etc. Nowadays, it impossible to get “your name” on Gmail, Twitter, domains etc. 5+ letter domains can cost as low as $5/yr (4-letter are $120/yr & 3-letter \$640/yr). So for me it was cheap, but keep in mind that performing Ethereum blockchain transactions still come with expensive “gas fees”.
Conclusion
So when a new service in a burgeoning domain space (no pun intended) I personally see value in securing my name early. It’s not so much for what I can do today with it but what I believe I will be able to do with it in the future, and the benefits that these “decentralized identities” will afford us in this upcoming web3 metaverse.
Written by Christian Turner
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