There’s so many aspects to the DNS role in ENS that it makes sense to take a step back and explain some of the basic components.
DNS
DNS domain names turn IP addresses into readable names and route users to the server where the content is held. Think decashed.com or x.com, for example. There’s more than a thousand DNS compatible top level domains, like .com, .org, .net, .co, .homes, .loan, .info, etc. The list is FREAKING MASSIVE and ranges from serious to funny. You’re reading something on a .loan domain name now. Wowzers!
.eth
The .eth extension lives on the ethereum blockchain only. It’s not part of DNS. That’s why if you type in yourname.eth into Chrome or Firefox, it doesn’t go to a website. It’s not a domain name. It’s a web3 name/identity. If the .eth extension were to become a fully equipped DNS domain, it may potentially be forced to sacrifice some aspects of its decentralized nature to centralized control and censorship. Hence, .eth stands apart as existing only in the blockchain sphere outside of DNS operability.
Are .eth and ENS the same thing?
No. The ENS technology allows almost every DNS domain name to be a web3 name/identity. If I owned sean.com, I could turn it into an ENS name. It wouldn’t become sean.eth. It would remain sean.com. As such sean.com would work in crypto wallets like metamask, resolve in etherscan, work as a primary ENS name etc. Try typing in eth.loan or decashed.com into metamask and watch it resolve a wallet address like normal. See?
(NOTE: Now before you go and buy the most exotic tld possible in DNS, make sure it has something called DNSSEC compatibility. 90% of tlds do. You can’t use the name in ENS if it’s not DNSSEC compatible.)
So would a business need a .eth name to use ENS?
No. They can just use their .com or any regular DNS website address and use that and enjoy just about all the benefits of ENS.
So what’s the difference between .com and .eth in ENS?
Functionally, nothing.
With .com, the owner of the name in the DNS system retains final control over the ENS name, not the wallet owner.
With .eth, the owner of the name is the wallet owner. By there being no outside control mechanism, the argument goes that it is decentralized and protected.
What’s the point of .eth then if anyone can just use their .com?
It depends on the needs of the user. A business may want a .eth to limit confusion in the marketplace, demonstrate their acumen in web3, or to carry out some functions of its business through which it cannot risk third party interference of its identity. .eth serves as an option that one can use if they need it, but it is by no means necessary to have to enjoy the ecosystem of web3.
In 2019, an ENS Labs executive theorized that DNS domains would be the primary naming system for ENS users. (FYI: he is no longer employed
by ENS)
How could ENS do this to me?!
DNS integration has been a core feature of ENS since its very inception. Nothing has changed. It’s just not discussed enough. Only about a thousand DNS domains have ever been imported into ENS, probably because awareness is low but also because some technical maneuvering is required. There’s also a hefty gas fee required but it will soon be completely free to do!
So how does one turn their .com into an ENS name?
I made a video demonstration of how I did it with a domain on namecheap.
I’ve actually done this with about 30 domains across more than 5 different registrars. It is likely that I have the most DNS names in the ENS ecosystem in the entire world.
Will importing a DNS domain into ENS make it an NFT?
No. Simply importing one will not make it an NFT. There’s a second process required if that’s what you want. Importing the DNS name means you get all the features of it being an ENS name, like it being a wallet address, but it won’t be an NFT.
How do I make my DNS name into an ENS NFT?
I did a whole writeup on that. Check it out here.
Can I sell my DNS domain on ENS Vision since it’s an NFT?
Although you could technically “sell” the NFT itself, ownership of the DNS name would still reside with the DNS owner and would still be maintained by the domain name registrar. So the buyer wouldn’t become the new owner of the DNS name which is probably what you’re asking. It doesn’t work that way so don’t go trying to sell it. Additionally, the DNS owner could take back the NFT itself from the wallet it was transferred to.
What happens if a hacker drains my wallet and takes my DNS domain name NFT?
This is where centralized control comes in handy. If a hacker hacks your wallet and steals the NFT of your .com ENS name, you as the ultimate DNS owner can press a few buttons to steal it right back from them. They are powerless against the DNS owner. Pretty cool protection for a corporation that is scared of losing their identity in a wallet hack!
Can I make subdomains with a DNS name in ENS?
Yes.
Will turning my .com domain into an ENS name break my website?
No. It will have no effect. Your website will work like normal.
But wasn’t there something about .box and .art domains?
.box and .art are tlds in DNS but have an ENS native component to them. It may be possible to sell the full DNS ownership rights of them as NFTs in the near future. We’ll see what happens
Thanks
– sean3.eth / 3531.eth / @financeguy74