Web3 domains (also called blockchain, NFTs, and crypto domains) are the blockchain alternative to traditional web2 domains from centralized domain name services (DNS). The term TLD, also known as domain ending, means “Top Level Domain” and refers to the ending that follows the final dot of a domain. For instance, in the case of “Google.com”, .com is the TLD while the whole URL (Google.com) is called the domain name, or simply domain. The same concept applies to Web3 domains and TLDs.
The main difference between Web2 and Web3 domains is that the latter are written and stored on the blockchain as digital assets. They are not available on traditional domain registries, such as GoDaddy or Namecheap. Instead, they can be bought from specialized blockchain domain services, and also traded and moved just like NFTs – because they actually are NFTs!
What can you do with Web3 TLDs?
Web3 domains offer unique benefits such as sending and receiving cryptocurrency (i.e. you can use a blockchain domain as a wallet address), creating web3 websites, sending emails, and more. Perhaps most importantly, Web3 domain registrars can’t shut down or otherwise control your domain thanks to blockchain’s decentralization. Additionally, some registries offer one-time payments, allowing users to have complete control of their sites once purchased without any renewal or yearly fees.
Blockchain-based TLDs are also popular as they can generate new revenue streams and create brand awareness in Web3. Brands, companies, and artists can take advantage of some of their benefits; therefore, both blockchain domains and blockchain TLDs can be long-term investment opportunities as the popularity of cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and the decentralized finance ecosystem grows and attracts mainstream media and high-profile investors.
Where can I buy Web3 domains?
Web3 TLDs like the ones outlined below can be purchased via web3 registrars, such as Freename.io, which allow you to buy domains from existing TLDs (e.g., .metaverse, .lambo), or create your own TLDs (e.g., .yourname) and use them across multiple blockchains.
You can also receive royalties by becoming a registrar yourself and allowing others to buy a domain using your TLD. Another popular blockchain domain registry is Ethereum Name Service (ENS), although this one only provides Ethereum-based domains, while Freename and others offer Web3 domains from a variety of blockchains, including Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, and more.
The Best Web3 Domain & TLDs
1. .hodl
The .hodl domain is not only a way to say you’re a long-time holder of cryptocurrencies. With over 5’000 domains registered on this TLD, it has become a popular way to send emails via Mailchain, a web3 email provider that encrypts messages and stores them in blockchain-based distributed locations
The term .hodl is a highly relevant term in the cryptocurrency and DeFi ecosystems. It means you’re here for the long run and you’re not planning to sell your crypto anytime soon despite the FUD and bearish markets. Building a web3 site with the .hodl TLD is a solid way to communicate these concepts to other crypto veterans that might be interested in seeing future developments.
2. .eth
.eth is by far the most popular Web3 TLD since it can be used for a wide range of applications in Web3 and personal purposes, to name a few:
- Create a Web3 blog or associate your Telegram, Discord, Email, Twitter, and website URL to your .eth domain.
- Create your Web3 identity and share your profile and NFTs on Web3 social media channels
- Buy or sell your .eth domain just like you would with crypto assets (ENS domains are based on the ERC-712 standard, so they work as an NFT that can appreciate in value, therefore making them investment opportunities.)
- Create subdomains for projects, allowing users to create multiple websites within their domain name.
By having the .eth ending next to your name, you can get instantly recognized by other .eth users and let them know you’re in the same space, join a Web3 community, or allow them to send you cryptocurrency without using your ETH address.
For example, users can simplify crypto payments by replacing their standard Ethereum address (0x…), a long alphanumeric string, with a human-readable username. For example, we can send crypto to Bob.eth instead of using Bob’s full address. In this case, Bob is the user, and .eth is the web3 TLD associated with Bob’s address).
One of the best examples of brands moving into web3 using the .eth suffix is Budweiser USA. The company bought a personalised Web3 domain, “Beer.eth” for 30 ETH, or $95k. The beer company also changed its Twitter profile image to that of a rocket ship designed by NFT artist Tom Sachs.
3. .metaverse
.metaverse TLDs are TLDs built on the blockchain and therefore act as NFT assets, allowing users to own, store, and transfer them to other wallets just as if they were dealing with cryptocurrency.
With the rise of the metaverse across multiple industries, there are now over 2’000 domains using this TLD to build Web3 identities and make use of all of its potential. For example, users can build their decentralized website to host their NFT or GameFi projects, use them as cryptocurrency wallets, send web3 emails and navigate DApps on the blockchain.
4. .crypto
.crypto is the first web3 domain to exist, launching in 2018. This TLD is similar to .eth but is highly specific in its use for crypto projects only. These projects range from GameFi, NFTs, decentralized applications (DApps), token bridges, etc.
The .crypto TLD extensions are usually cheaper than most Web3 domains —usually around $50— but they’re somewhat limited in their use cases. However, people, projects, and companies still buy this type of domain not only as a way to interact with crypto projects but also due to its popular prestige in the web3 ecosystem, as it was the first TLD to lead the evolution of Web3.
5. .nfts
.nfts domains are highly praised by artists, fans, content creators, collectors, and essentially anyone submerged in the NFT industry, and there are several reasons for this other than just the .nft ending that identifies you as a digital artist.
You can use your .nfts SLD to store, send and receive your NFTs, build your NFT-focused website to showcase projects, or build an NFT-focused profile and share it throughout social media.
Brands, creators, and fans can also associate their .nfts domain to their Web2 and Web3 websites, social media, addresses, and other platforms to create awareness and build trust with the NFT community.
Keep in mind the NFT community highly covers these type of TLDs; therefore, prices could reach four to five digits.
6. .x
When it comes to versatility, .x is the way to go. The .x TLD has multiple functions across the Web3 ecosystem, such as creating a decentralized website to host NFT and crypto projects, replacing your standard crypto address with your .x username, building brand awareness with the shortest TLD in existence, and sending and receiving cryptocurrencies.
.x domains are considered premium domain endings, so prices can vary depending on the registrar you’re buying from. Their status makes .x domains highly popular in the NFT community; it was one of the first TLDs, and they have a high chance of dethroning .eth as the market leader.
7. .aurora
.aurora is native to the Aurora blockchain, which allows users to mint their domains and use them to create decentralized websites, send and receive cryptocurrencies, and explore and interact with DApps on the Aurora blockchain.
The Aurora blockchain is a next-generation decentralized protocol compatible with Ethereum and runs on the NEAR Protocol. The protocol has a large user base and its roadmap for 2023 consists of the development of a broader Web3 ecosystem paired with DeFi technologies and tools to support high-value NFT, Web3 and DeFi projects.
More and more promising DApps are building on the Aurora blockchain, and with an .aurora domain, you will be able to explore this expanding and thriving ecosystem full of high-value projects and users.
8. .young
.young is a web3 TLD with a lot of upside potential, and it appears to be related to Young Platform Exchange, in which users can use domains to send and receive cryptocurrencies. Actually Young users are using both Freename and Unstoppable Domains to send and receive tokens. The platform, already with 2 million users and expanding every day, offers an easy and straightforward way of buying, selling, and accumulating Bitcoin and other cryptos.
It also offers an academy that provides educational content for beginners, and the pro version, which offers zero-fees trading for professional traders.
9. .888
.888 has a cultural significance in the crypto and NFT community —it’s derived from Chinese culture as eight is pronounced as “Fa,” which sounds similar to the Chinese word “fortune” or “wealth.”
For the NFT community, having an 888 next to a project, NFT, or domain means wishing others good fortune. Some of the most expensive NFTs sold have the number eight involved. For example, CryptoPunk #8888 sold for 888 ETH.
Besides good luck and fortune, .888 TLDs can replace wallet addresses with a simple domain. While it’s more of a tradition, .888 domains have a high status in the Web3 community, so content creators, brands, and collectors usually leverage this to attract big investors. This also means that .888 TLDs are highly expensive and hard to find.
10. .shib
.shib is an extension used for crypto projects built on the Shiba token. It can be used to create decentralized websites, send and receive cryptocurrencies through the upcoming layer-2 shibarium, and simply build their web3 identity in this ecosystem.
Shiba Inu is a popular token and soon a Web3 ecosystem with its layer-2 shibarium. SHIB, while a highly volatile cryptocurrency, holds a strong user base that wants to see further developments on the token’s ecosystem. Therefore, building a web3 domain using the .shib TLD can be highly profitable in the long run with the development of the Shibarium layer.
11. .dao
.dao is a popular TLD in the DeFi and NFT communities used by those who believe in the mantra of user-led governance against centralization and regulation. If you run a DAO, you might as well buy a .dao TLD to reassure your organization’s coherence and commitment to the DeFi ecosystem.
As the suffix suggests, most of the .dao TLDs are purchased by DeFi projects with a DAO (decentralised autonomous organisation).
A DAO is a form of governance supported and led by a community instead of institutions and centralized players. Members of a community would usually stake a portion of a token from a blockchain platform to participate in the governance and vote and discuss protocol changes.
DAOs were a massive boom amid the crypto ecosystem in 2021 as they sought to propose a new form of governance system centered in providing the power and control of an organization to its community. And they continue to be a foundational pillar for almost all decentralized protocols, many of them who have worked with high-profile institutions and corporations to solve industry pain-points using blockchain technology.
12. .bitcoin
.bitcoin is highly popular as it pays tribute to the father of all cryptocurrencies, and it’s backed by cryptocurrency exchange and custodian Gemini.
Besides signaling your preference or love for Bitcoin to Bitcoin maximalist, you can use your .bitcoin domain to replace Bitcoin and other wallet addresses to send and receive cryptocurrencies. Additionally, you can use it to host a decentralized website and welcome other users from the DeFi community.
13. .blockchain
A .blockchain domain is highly recommended for users and projects that want to work with multiple blockchain networks. For example, by buying a .blockchain domain, you can access many cryptocurrency coins and tokens —around 300— from different networks, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, etc., all integrated into your .blockchain TLD.
.blockchain is mostly used by companies and personal brands that need to transfer and receive multiple cryptocurrencies in large quantities.
14. .binanceUS
The .binanceUS Web3 domain is made for users on the BNB Chain (formerly called Binance Smart Chain), which is Binance’s decentralized exchange (DEX) and allows users to write smart contracts for their web3 projects, build DApps, swap coins and tokens, and more.
Binance is one of the largest crypto ecosystems in existence, with roughly 100 million users globally. The .binance web3 domain didn’t surge in popularity until the BNB Chain came into light, which is the decentralized version of Binance, a network in which projects of all kinds —Web3, GameFi, NFTs, DeFi— can build on top of it and leverage its low fees and high throughput.
Building on a .binance or .BNB domain means being part of one of the largest cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystems in the world, so the prestige is worth it —not to mention the amount of DeFi projects building on BNB.
15. .sol
.sol, similar to .eth and .crypto, are used to identify users’ addresses on the Solana blockchain. A .sol extension is an NFT that can be purchased or sold directly to other .sol users, and allows you to take part in the Solana ecosystem, create your own decentralized website and host Solana projects, and send and receive cryptocurrency by replacing your Solana address with your .sol domain.
Final Thoughts
Web3 domains and TLDs are fundamental pillars of Web3 – the next iteration of the internet governed by the user and not by centralized institutions. The list above outlines the most popular Web3 TLDs – available on Web3 registrars like Freename – which can be promising investment and revenue-generating opportunities.