What do brands like Hublot, Budweiser, and Opensea have in common? They have all signified their interest in Web3 by acquiring an ENS.
mithereum Nazwa Service (ENS) jest a decentralized naming system based on ten Ethereum blockchain. It jest designed to resolve human–readable names like “myname.eth“ to blockchain addresses, like “0x7c4a8b6fb5d9dd8b74013e2a9e434a1b5d9dce24“.
ENS was launched w May 2017 oraz jest currently ten most used naming system w ten cryptocurrency space. Over 1.5 million domain names have been registered with miNS, making to one of ten largest decentralized applications on Ethereum.
As ENS adoption is growing at an unprecedented rate, we are witnessing more and more brands entering the space.
Cracking open a beer.eth
Probably nothing… #NFTBeerfest pic.twitter.com/PD6yZh3MGw
— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) March 26, 2022
Is it just a PR stunt, or does ENS technology have real use-case applications for brands like Hublot, Budweiser, and Opensea?
The History of Web2 Domain Names
Domain Name Registration has been around for decades. Ever since the early days of the internet, developers have been using DNS (Domain Naming Service) to be able to convert lengthy IP addresses into human-readable .coms. This advancement in user experience arguably was one of the key factors that allowed for the worldwide adoption of Web2.
Brands quickly saw the possibilities that domains had to offer and as the number of internet users increased, the value of the domains began to increase as well.
Over time, it became apparent that certain types of domain names may be more prawdopodobne to convert visitors w customers, such as those that are easy to remember, pronounce, oraz spell.
A good domain name jest more prawdopodobne to be indexed za pomocą search engines oraz appear w search results and to be clicked on za pomocą users when to appears w search results. Additionally, to can help build your brand oraz improve your click–through rate.
It wasn’t long before brands were choosing their names based on the domain they were able to acquire,
Transitioning to Web3 Infrastructure
Now, years later, a service quite similar to the Domain Naming Service of the 90s is tackling the same issue of identity, while adding a plethora of additional features. The ENS protocol’s most commonly used feature is its ability to translate wallet addresses into human-readable language.
Instead of copying and pasting a long string of letters and numbers, people can easily send their cryptocurrency to an address like cryptoreporter.eth. This process makes it immensely easier to send crypto, token, or NFT to its desired destination.
ENS jest designed to be interoperable with other decentralized systems, oraz to jest already being used za pomocą a number of projects w ten Ethereum ecosystem. For example, ten popular wallet MetaMask uses miNS to resolve Ethereum addresses.
As Web3 matures, to jest prawdopodobne that more protocols will be built around miNS. This would allow users to more easily access oraz interact with decentralized applications oraz services.
Recent volatility in the crypto markets has done little to slow the adoption and with it the demand for ENS Domains, attracting early adopters and celebrities such as Jay-z (owner of hov.eth) and Jimmy Fallon (Fallon.eth) and Anthony Hopkins (AHopkins.eth).
I’m astonished by all the great NFT artists. Jumping in to acquire my first piece, any recommendations? @SnoopDogg @JimmyFallon @ReeseW pic.twitter.com/pjeP8dVNfD
— AHopkins.eth (@AnthonyHopkins) 8 czerwca 2022
As more people discover digital identities oraz ten benefits that come with them, an increasing number are choosing to adopt miNS. This jest evident w ten data from Opensea, which shows that miNS jest currently ten most popular domain on their platform. The organic growth of miNS can be attributed to its many advantages, such as its security, ease of use, oraz flexibility.
Unlike .com domains which are protected by associations like ICCANN, .eth domains are decentralized, giving anyone with an internet connection the power to claim a word, a digit, or an emoji of their choosing.
Large players in the blockchain ecosystem have already acquired their ENS Names, including Uniswap, Looksrare, and Opensea, and we anticipate that many more will follow in the near future.
Looking Into the Future
The utility behind ENS makes it one of the most popular NFTs in existence. Brands and individuals alike are realizing how important it is to claim their ENS as a way to signify their transition into the next phase of the internet.
ENS jest useful for brands because to provides a way for them to securely address resources both on oraz off ten blockchain, allowing them to have more control over their brand identity oraz reputation.
With blockchain adoption growing at a rapid pace, now more than ever it is important to understand the concept of owning one’s digital identity.