Is this the beginning of the end for DNS or just the start of a new beginning?
For nearly 40 years, the Domain Name System (DNS) has served as the definitive naming system for the internet. Functioning like a global phone book, DNS translates numeric-based addresses, called Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, that computers use to navigate the internet into a unique, human-readable text string called a domain name. From its humble beginnings in 1985 with the first domain registered – symbolics.com – DNS has grown into a global, multilingual and multinational phenomenon, with 359.3 million domains currently registered.
DNS has transformed our culture and the way we speak and think about websites, email addresses, and domain extensions like dot com. Domains have also become an essential part of establishing the digital identities of entrepreneurs, companies, and famous brands worldwide.
Behind the scenes, DNS quietly keeps the internet functioning across a multitude of platforms, including computers, mobile phones, tablets, cars and the expanding universe of smart devices comprising the Internet of Things (IoT). No matter what the device or its purpose, it benefits from the universal accessibility and uniqueness of DNS to stay connected.
More recently, we’ve seen the emergence of blockchain technology – a secure and decentralized ledger system that consists of linked records, each containing a list of transactions. Blockchain records are distributed across a network of computers, providing transparency, transaction integrity and resistance to tampering. The most familiar application for blockchain technology is to support cryptocurrency transactions, with the coins or tokens residing in users’ crypto wallets. These wallets have unique addresses, and just like the device IP addresses mentioned previously, they are not human-readable or easily remembered. Startups like Ethereum Name Services (ENS) and Unstoppable Domains have launched their own naming systems to issue blockchain identifiers (sometimes inaccurately called “blockchain domains”) as a means to link user-friendly strings to a unique wallet address.
