Unstoppable domains are an interesting and innovative option gaining popularity throughout the cryptocurrency community. While you may initially be tempted to dismiss them as another “crypto fad” that will rapidly fall out of favor, you might not want to be so quick to judge.
Whether you have your own cryptocurrency wallet or are just beginning to learn about cryptocurrencies, unstoppable domains offer some interesting benefits you may want to take advantage of for your website. For anyone who already owns a website or is thinking about buying one soon, it’s likely a good idea to at least purchase an unstoppable domain in case this tech goes mainstream. First, read more about this topic.
Key takeaways:
- What unstoppable domains are
- The benefits of unstoppable domains
- The negatives of unstoppable domains
- How to buy an unstoppable domain
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What Are Unstoppable Domains?
Unstoppable domains are a type of domain name that uses blockchain technology to handle registration and many other features. Rather than using domain name services (DNSs) like traditional websites, unstoppable domains use a blockchain-based solution called the crypto name service (CNS).
First released in 2018, unstoppable domains have grown in popularity quickly throughout the cryptocurrency community. Originally, people usually wanted one because you can send or receive various types of cryptocurrency using a human-friendly address rather than the typical string of numbers and letters. But these domains are increasingly popular to host normal websites and online apps as well.
There are some important benefits to unstoppable domains that may help to push them into the mainstream. Also, some significant downsides must be overcome for this technology to reach the masses.
What are the advantages of unstoppable domains?
- One-time registration: Once you buy your unstoppable domain, it’s yours forever. There’s no annual renewal fee.
- Extremely secure: These domains use blockchain technology, which is known to be extraordinarily secure and resistant to brute force attacks.
- Makes using cryptocurrency easier: You can send or receive 310 different types of cryptocurrency using your domain name.
- Censorship-resistant: These domains cannot be blocked or taken offline using the traditional censorship methods used by governments and companies.
- Native support for decentralized apps: These are supported natively on these domains, making them easier to use.
What are the disadvantages of unstoppable domains?
- May not reach universal adoption: Unstoppable domains are still new and may never gain widespread popularity outside the crypto community.
- Not natively supported on all browsers: While popular web browsers like Brave and Opera support these domains natively, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge still require an add-on to access them, although this is almost certain to change soon.
- Still labeled as only for cryptocurrency: This type of domain is still widely seen as only being used for things related to cryptocurrency, although that label is starting to fade.
- Web hosting for unstoppable domains is still early: To put a standard website on unstoppable domains, you have to use a specific type of hosting service that uses Interplanetary File System (IPFS). While possible, there are far fewer options than you’ll find using traditional web hosting.
Should You Use an Unstoppable Domain?
There is no universal correct answer to this question. This domain type has quickly become popular and is already expanding beyond just the crypto community. Purchasing this type of domain is attractive. Once a domain is purchased, it’s yours forever without recurring fees. So it’s a great choice for most people, even if they aren’t sure they’ll ever actually put the domain to use.
You can purchase an unstoppable domain for between $5 and $20 most of the time, making this a small investment for the lifetime ownership of your domain. Buying up an unstoppable domain for your name or business now may help to ensure you have it in the future should you need it. Also, given the incredible growth in popularity the overall cryptocurrency space is experiencing, it’s worth it for many people to buy one or more unstoppable domains to perform transactions more easily.
FAQs About Unstoppable Domains
Do you need web hosting for unstoppable domains?
You don’t need additional hosting if you’re using your unstoppable domain for transferring cryptocurrency. If you want to run a traditional type of website, you need hosting.
Unstoppable domains use a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol known as IPFS for hosting, so you must find a hosting service that supports this technology. The number of hosting providers that offer this is growing.
How do you buy unstoppable domains?
You purchase your unstoppable domain from Unstoppable Domains. Unlike traditional domain name registration, when you purchase this type of domain, you are minting a non-fungible token (NFT) — unique and yours forever. The NFT is minted on the Ethereum or Solana blockchain.
What top-level domains exist for unstoppable domains?
You can register your unstoppable domain, or top-level domain (TLD) name as:
- .blockchain
- .bitcoin
- .nft
- .wallet
- .888
- .dao
- .x
The list of available TLDs is also likely to grow. You cannot get traditional TLDs like .com, .net, or .org with unstoppable domains.
Should an unstoppable domain replace my current domain?
No. For now, at least, it would be unwise to give up your existing domain and move exclusively to an unstoppable domain to run a website. You can keep your current domain up and running and supplement it with an unstoppable domain. These two options use different technologies, so it may be a challenge to keep them both updated.
Are unstoppable domains a good investment?
There’s no way to tell what the future value of any specific unstoppable domain will be. In the early 1990s, people bought domains and sold them for millions several years later, and some people are purchasing this new type of domain, hoping they will catch on. Since buying an unstoppable domain only requires a one-time fee, this is seen as a good investment strategy by some.
Now May Be the Ideal Time To Buy Your Unstoppable Domain
Unstoppable domains are an interesting innovation and one of the first technologies that has a chance at replacing (or at least supplementing) DNS for the internet. It’s no surprise there’s much more that can be learned about them. For the average webmaster, it won’t be necessary to have a deep knowledge of the blockchain technology that backs unstoppable domains any more than they need to know the complexities of how DNS works.
While it’s still too soon to tell whether unstoppable domains will stand the test of time, they cannot be ignored any longer.
