For the moment, the supply of blockchain domains still remains very limited on the marketplaces. The provider Unstoppable Domains is the best known, because this platform is particularly easy to use. There are also Ethereum Name Service (ENS) or Trust Domains. The domains you purchase from Unstoppable Domains are written to the Ethereum blockchain. This means you will also need a wallet containing ethers. If you don’t already have a cryptocurrency wallet, simply create one. Also obtain ethers, as you may need them to configure and manage the domain.
On the Unstoppable Domains home page, then enter theaddress of your choice and check if it is still available. You will notice that prices vary greatly depending on the domain name you choose. While short addresses (e.g. first names) are traded for up to US$10,000, longer, less in-demand domains can be purchased for US$20. At Unstoppable Domains, you have the following domain extensions to choose from:
- .888
- .bitcoin
- .blockchain
- .corner
- .crypto
- .dao
- .nft
- .wallet
- .x
- .zil
The other platforms in turn offer other extensions. At ENS for example, only the extension .eth is available. Trust Domains owns .challenge for Etherium and .cfx, .bnb And .heco for other blockchains. It cannot be ruled out that other domain extensions will be offered over time.
If you have opted for a domain, all you need to do is buy it once so that it belongs to you. You therefore have no rental costs. at Unstoppable Domain, you can pay for your purchase by credit card, PayPal or even with cryptocurrency.
However, before the domain can be used, it must still be transferred to the blockchain. Just like with other NFTs, transaction fees generally have to be paid to the blockchain operator, namely the Gas Fee (in the sense of “fuel costs”). They are systematically due as soon as an action is taken in the blockchain. At Unstoppable Domains, there is currently no upfront fee for domain registration on the blockchain.
