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Ethereum Name Service (ENS) now works with all second level domains

by — Services 2 Comments

Now your .com or .whatever address works with ENS.

Logo for Ethereum Name Service has a stylized circle with ENS letters

ENS now supports regular domain names.

Last week, Ethereum Name Service (ENS) expanded its capabilities to work with any second level domain. This means owners of .com, .net, .money, et al. domains can now use their domains as a wallet address in ENS.

This makes a lot of sense. Domain names were created because it’s easier to remember words than IP addresses. Similarly, ENS makes it easier to remember long wallet addresses.

ENS launched by selling .eth addresses. So, you could use a domain like mycoolname.eth as your wallet address. Now, rather than expand to other pseudo-TLDs in addition to .eth, ENS will instead support domains registered on the main DNS. ENS’ creators say this has been in the roadmap since 2017.

ENS already worked with select domains such as .XYZ. The new functionality means that any second level domain will work.

Importing a domain involves enabling DNSSEC, adding a TXT record, and registering the name on ENS. This last step requires paying the Ethereum network gas fee. Fees are currently rather high, and the fee might be about $300. ENS says it’s working to reduce this fee, and it’s also possible that gas fees will fall in the future.

There are some differences between using .eth names and standard second level domains for your wallet, including the security of the namespace.

MMX to connect .luxe with Ethereum Name Service

by — Services 1 Comment

New domain will work with wallet-identifier service.

New top level domain name company Minds + Machines (MMX) announced today that it will connect its forthcoming .luxe top level domain with Ethereum Name Service.

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a sort of “domain names for ethereum asset addresses” system. The idea is somewhat similar to how domain names are easier to remember than IP addresses. Likewise, names are easier to remember for wallet addresses than a long chain of random characters.

ENS has offered people the opportunity to get .eth “domain names” that work for sending funds between wallets. These aren’t official domain names that you can type into a typical browser. (More about these names here.)

The partnership will allow people to get an ICANN-accredited domain name that works with ENS: something.luxe.

The biggest benefit I can see to owning a .luxe domain instead of .eth is the process of registering one. Ethereum Name Service has a needlessly complicated process for acquiring a .eth domain. It’s a multi-step type of auction.

Whether or not ENS ultimately proves successful is still up in the air. People have pumped about $30 million worth of ether into .eth domains, but there’s a catch: .eth domain buyers are allowed to trade in the domain and get their ether back after one year.

As for MMX deciding to use .luxe in this way, I say “why not?” .Luxe wasn’t going to be a home run domain being introduced in 2018. I give it points for creativity and innovation.

Sedo adds support for .ETH ethereum name trading

by — Domain Sales 10 Comments

Domain names from the Ethereum Name System can now be sold on Sedo.

Domain name marketplace Sedo is now accepting .ETH domain names for buying and selling on its marketplace.

.ETH domain names are not part of the domain name system you use to send email and visit websites. It’s also not like the alt-root domain names that have popped up from time to time.

Yet they have a goal that’s similar to domain names — make addresses that would be long, incomprehensible strings easier to remember. For example, a user can use a .eth domain for a wallet address.

But .eth domain names are quite complicated. It’s a fairly new system that will change and evolve over time, so owners really need to know what they’re buying. For example, a dispute resolution process is likely to be introduced at some point.

And those high prices you’ve seen for .eth domain auctions, such as exchange.eth for $600,000? Here’s the thing; the buyer of that domain name can relinquish it after one year and get his money (ether) back.

There are a handful of .eth domains already listed on Sedo. Most of them are IDN domain names that mix scripts but look like names such as payments.eth and trading.eth. (This makes me think .eth domains will have their own version of phishing.)

.ETH domain names might be worth a look, but I’d advise anyone interested to spend quite a lot of time researching and understanding the space.

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