Unstoppable domains are an interesting and innovative new option that’s gaining popularity throughout the cryptocurrency community. While at first thought you may be tempted to dismiss them as just another “crypto fad” that will fall out of favor quickly, 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 that you should take advantage of for your website.
For anyone who already owns a website or is thinking about buying one in the near future, it’s likely a good idea to at least purchase an unstoppable domain so that you have it just in case this new tech goes truly mainstream. Before making any final decisions, make sure to read through this article where you’ll learn more about this topic.
Key Takeaways
- Unstoppable domains are a type of domain name that uses blockchain technology to handle registration and many other features.
- 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.
- Unstoppable domains use a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol known as IPFS for hosting, so you need to make sure you can find a hosting service that supports this technology.
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).
Unstoppable domains were first released in 2018 and have grown in popularity very quickly throughout the cryptocurrency community. Originally, the most common reason why someone would want an unstoppable domain was because having one would allow you to send or receive a variety of different types of cryptocurrency using a human-friendly address rather than the typical string of numbers and letters. However, these domains are now becoming increasingly popular to host normal websites and online apps as well.
There are some very important benefits to unstoppable domains that may help to push them into the mainstream. There are some significant downsides that need to be overcome for this technology to reach the masses.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Unstoppable Domains
Advantages of Unstoppable Domains
- One-time registration
- Extremely secure
- Makes using cryptocurrency easier
- Censorship-resistant
- Native support for decentralized apps
Disadvantages of Unstoppable Domains
- May not reach universal adoption
- Not natively supported on all browsers
- Still labeled as only for cryptocurrency
- Web hosting for unstoppable domains is still early
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 276 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: Decentralized apps 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 quite 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 in the near future.
- 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. The fact that this type of domain has quickly become quite popular and is already expanding beyond just the crypto community.
Purchasing this type of domain is very attractive. The fact that once a domain is purchased, it’s yours forever without any recurring fees makes it 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 very 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.
In addition, given the incredible growth in popularity that the overall cryptocurrency space is experiencing, it’s worth it for many people to buy one or more unstoppable domains just so they can perform transactions more easily.
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 need to make sure you can find a hosting service that supports this technology. The number of hosting providers that offer this is still pretty low, but it’s 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 actually minting a non-fungible token (NFT). This is why the domain you mint is 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:
- .crypto,
- .zil,
- .x,
- .coin,
- .wallet,
- .bitcoin,
- .888,
- .nft,
- .dao,
- .blockchain
- And more
The list of available TLDs is also likely to grow in the future. You cannot currently get traditional TLDs like .com, .net, or .org with unstoppable domains.
Quick Answers to Common Questions About Unstoppable Domains
The following are some quick answers to some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about unstoppable domains. Read through each of them to get a better understanding of this new option so you can make a more informed decision about whether you should use them or not.
Are Unstoppable Domains Only for Crypto Users?
How Much Do Unstoppable Domains Cost?
Are Unstoppable Domains Secure?
Should an Unstoppable Domain Replace my Current Domain?
Are Unstoppable Domains a Good Investment?
Now May Be the Ideal Time to Buy Your Unstoppable Domain
Unstoppable domains are a very 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 that 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 really cannot be ignored any longer.