Web 3 disruption and the domain name system: understanding the trends of blockchain domain names and the policy implications

Georgia Osborn and Nathan Alan

Journal of Cyber Policy, 2023, vol. 8, issue 2, 142-164

Abstract: Blockchain or Web3 technology has the potential to disrupt the everyday use of the internet. The polarized discussion around blockchain technology makes it notoriously difficult to navigate between the opposing narratives of blockchain evangelists and skeptics. This article provides a data–led approach to blockchain domain names, a rapidly growing trend that is currently non–interoperable with the Domain Name System. Alternative DNS roots have previously not become popular due to the lack of supporting browsers. Blockchain domain names could offer an exciting prospect of a decentralized and novel way to manage online naming and addressing according to one view, others regard them as insignificant and undeserving of attention. This study explores their burgeoning growth, assesses the challenges of blockchain domain names and provides five recommendations to address them. A pragmatic response should be adopted to blockchain domain name as, even if it is not clear that blockchain domain names solve any problems not currently solved by the DNS, the registrations continue to rise. Furthermore, the technologies will continue to advance, and due to the decentralized nature of the blockchain, developments or changes can be more rapidly implemented than within the DNS.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1080/23738871.2023.2294759

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