Ready to unleash the future of the internet with DomainFi? Learn More
Ready to unleash the future of the internet with DomainFi? Learn More
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Much like the real world, the internet is full of addresses, locations and names that require some navigation to find your destination. Domains serve as unique, simplified identifiers that guide you to where you want to go on the internet. Despite major advancements in the internet and technology in general over the last four decades, domain names have remained relatively the same, until recently.
TL;DR
What are domain names?
A domain name (or simply ‘domain’) is a digital address that you enter into the URL bar of a web browser to access a specific website. Think of it like the address for a physical building. If you want to visit someone’s house, you need to know their street name and number. Similarly, if you want to visit a website, you need its domain. For instance, the domain for D3’s website is ‘d3.inc’.
Domain names are broken down into different parts to make it easier to understand and navigate. The main part of the domain, like “d3” in “www.d3.inc,” is known as the Second-Level Domain (SLD). The “.inc” part is called the Top Level Domain (TLD). The “www” is a subdomain (or the ‘third level domain’). The subdirectory, which usually follows the TLD, is used to specify a particular section or service of a larger website. Many businesses and individuals own multiple domain names to secure various aspects of their brand or to direct visitors to specific parts of their online presence.
What is the Domain Name System (DNS) and how does it work?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is often referred to as the backbone of the internet. It is also like a phonebook – if you know someone’s name but don’t know their telephone number, you can look up the name to contact them.
Similarly, the DNS translates human-friendly domain names like ‘d3.inc’ into the IP addresses that devices use to identify each other on the internet. When you type a domain into any URL bar, the web browser checks theDNS by default for that domain to find the corresponding IP address, which is a numerical label like ‘104.21.77.212’.
Your browser can then use that IP address to fetch the website’s content and display it for you. This all happens within fractions of a second. DNS is a critical part of the internet’s infrastructure, enabling the simple, user-friendly browsing experience that we’re all accustomed to, by translating easy-to-remember domain names into IP addresses that computers can understand.
What is ICANN and what role does it play in the domain industry?
Established in 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees the assignment of unique identifiers, including domain names and IP addresses to make the internet run smoothly. ICANN is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization consisting of government, corporations, academics, security experts, and thousands of other commercial and non-commercial stakeholders who play important roles in its community-based, consensus-driven, policy-making approach. In reality, ICANN is actually similar to what many Web3 ecosystems and blockchains aspire to be today – a global, multi-stakeholder decentralized organization.
One of ICANN’s most visible roles is the administration of the domain name system (DNS), including the introduction and regulation of top level domains (TLDs) like .com, .org, .net, and more recently, .xyz, .game, .inc, and other new TLDs that were privately acquired (or ‘minted’) in 2012.
By providing a structured system for domain registration and accessibility, ICANN has laid the groundwork for the vast expansion of websites, making it possible for anyone to register and own a unique domain name. Through accredited registrars, like GoDaddy and Namecheap, individuals and organizations can register domain names under various TLDs, contributing to the rich diversity of content available online.
What are Web3 “domains”?
In recent years there has been a surge in Web3 or blockchain “domain” providers or naming systems. These “domains” are used to identify a specific wallet or smart contract address on the blockchain, replacing the long-winded, confusing 25- to 64-character addresses currently used to transact.
Web3 “domains” aren’t actually domains, since they don’t operate on the DNS. This is why .eth, .crypto, .wallet and others are not natively supported by devices, browers, and email services. Instead of being tied to the internet’s core infrastructure, they are private networks built on top of the DNS to simply point to blockchain addresses. While they make it easier to send and receive digital assets, access dApps, identify blockchain infrastructure and more; they don’t offer the same native integrations and universal accessibility as the domain name system (DNS) and cannot be considered domains for that reason.
How D3 is bridging the gap between traditional internet infrastructure and Web3
At D3, we’re developing a unique digital identity solution that offers full interoperability between existing internet infrastructure and Web3. We are working with the top ecosystems in the Web3 industry to apply for and launch their respective TLDs during the next ICANN application window, which will allow us to issue real domains that function across both blockchain-based decentralized networks and the globally established Domain Name System.
We are building futureproof digital identities that work across legacy internet infrastructure and decentralized systems while complying with all of the necessary frameworks and guidelines set out within different governance structures. We are committed to accessibility, interoperability, transparency and security while ensuring regulatory and ecosystem compliance.
Whether you’re building a blog on WordPress; starting a weekly newsletter; stacking sats on Bitcoin; aping into the latest NFTs on Ethereum; playing the latest Web3 games on Polygon; using the latest dApps on NEAR’s Blockchain Operating System (BOS) or sending your friend a tokenized concert ticket on Solana – your interoperable, multi-chain digital identity streamlines your online persona with D3’s single, easy-to-use infrastructure.
A robust feature set for the future of digital identity
Our platform is set to offer a comprehensive set of features focused on simplifying the digital identity experience. First and foremost, D3’s patent-pending digital identity technology will allow simple wallet address mapping across hundreds of different blockchains acting as your default, multichain address when making and receiving payments.
During the registration process, our flexible payment options during checkout allows you to pay using both fiat and crypto, ensuring utmost flexibility while securing your digital identity. Furthermore, our advanced AI Recommendation Engine helps you navigate the painstaking process of finding and securing a unique digital identity by recommending alternatives if your name is taken, or you want more options to choose from.
The D3 marketplace allows you to buy and sell your domains, helping you find your ‘forever identity.’ The marketplace offers different filters and category options to make navigating the market more convenient.
Conclusion
Our team has extensive experience operating and managing technical domain infrastructure across the world’s most popular domain extensions including .com, .net, .tv, and .xyz. After nearly 20 years, we’re pioneering new, innovative digital identity solutions that integrate the best elements of DNS and Web3.
Sign up for early access on our website and join our X and LinkedIn communities to stay up to date with all of the latest news and updates from D3 as we prepare to launch futureproof digital identities.