At present, the range of marketplaces for blockchain domains is still limited. Unstoppable Domains is one of the few established providers. Ethereum Name Service (ENS) or Trust Domains are alternatives. Domains purchased from Unstoppable Domains are written to the Ethereum blockchain. This means you also need a wallet including Ether. If you don’t yet have a crypto wallet, you will need to create one first. Purchasing Ether is required to set up and manage the domain.
To register a blockchain domain via Unstoppable Domains, enter your desired domain name and check if it is still available. Prices tend to vary greatly depending on the domain name you choose. While short names (first names, for example) are traded for up to $10,000, longer and less popular domains can be purchased for as little as $20. Via Unstoppable Domains you can choose from the following domain extensions:
- .888
- .bitcoin
- .blockchain
- .coin
- .crypto
- .dao
- .nft
- .wallet
- .x
- .zil
Different platforms offer different domain endings. At ENS, for example, only the extension .eth is available. Trust Domains offers .defi for Etherium and .cfx, .bnb as well as .heco. It cannot be ruled out that further domain endings will be made available gradually.
Once you’ve decided on a domain, you only need to purchase it once. The checkout secures the domain as yours. There are no additional annual rental fees. Unstoppable Domain accepts credit card, PayPal, or cryptocurrency payments.
However, before you can use the domain, it must be transferred to the blockchain for a fee paid to the blockchain operator – just like with other NFTs – a so-called gas fee (in the sense of gasoline costs). This is due whenever something is made in the blockchain. Via Unstoppable Domains, the initial fee for registering the domain in the blockchain is currently not due.
