ENS, the domain name protocol on the Ethereum network, has announced a partnership with GoDaddy, the largest internet domain registry, allowing users to seamlessly link their internet domains to ENS addresses without any cost.
Announced on February 5, GoDaddy domain name holders can now easily link their addresses to Ethereum Name Service (ENS) names without requiring technical expertise or additional fees.
Enabling Free Integration of Internet Domains with Blockchain Addresses
GoDaddy announces partnership with Ethereum Name Service to offer customers an effortless way to connect their domain to their ENS-compatible crypto wallet. Crypto payments have never been easier to receive. Read all about it: https://t.co/AY6RD8SUpP pic.twitter.com/Me5rafLLx2
— GoDaddy (@GoDaddy) February 5, 2024
ENS .eth domains, a decentralized domain name system (DNS), simplify the complex world of Web3 by providing human-readable names for wallet addresses. With GoDaddy’s involvement, Web3 users can seamlessly connect their .eth domains with traditional URLs, eliminating the previously daunting gas fees.
Nick Johnson, the founder of ENS, explained the practical implications, using Beyonce’s domain as an example: “Now Beyonce.xyz is her wallet identifier for all intents and purposes.” This move aims to simplify associating internet domains with blockchain addresses, promoting accessibility and usability in the Web3 space.
While mainstream Web3 adoption faced a slowdown during the bear market, the ENS-GoDaddy partnership demonstrates a commitment to bridging the gap between blockchain and traditional internet infrastructure. The long-term goal is to expand this integration beyond Ethereum, allowing users to set addresses for various blockchain chains.
Paul Nicks, president of domains at GoDaddy, emphasized the partnership as the “fusion of domain names and blockchain technologies,” marking a significant stride for both the Web2 and Web3 ecosystems.
The collaboration addresses the high gas fees, which hindered users from transitioning domain names to ENS. New smart contracts deployed by ENS for the resolution process facilitate a cost-free transition, granting holders greater control over their decentralized identities.
The positive impact of the collaboration is reflected in the market, with the price of Ethereum Name Service’s ENS token showing a 6% increase over the past 24 hours, as reported by CoinGecko.
ENS domains experienced substantial growth during the 2022 bear trend, reaching an all-time high of 437,365 registrations in September 2022. While the frenzy subsided in late 2022, ENS remains a significant player, with over 2 million currently registered domains.
ENS and Unstoppable Domains Clash Over Patent Dispute
In July 2023, GoDaddy’s Web3 competitor Unstoppable Domains enabled users to purchase .eth names with enhanced payment methods and functionality, streamlining ENS domain management. All .eth domains acquired from Unstoppable function similarly to those registered directly through ENS, reinforcing interoperability.
Notably, this collaboration unfolds amid an ongoing legal dispute between ENS and GoDaddy regarding selling an ENS domain, “eth.link.” The legal dispute arose in November 2023 when ENS developers contested a patent filed by Unstoppable Domains. The patent claimed the invention of a technology utilizing blockchain to determine domains.
ENS developer Nick Johnson countered, stating that the patent relies entirely on innovations developed by ENS and lacks novel contributions. He clarified ENS’s role in mapping human-readable names to machine-readable identifiers on the Ethereum blockchain.
Responding to the dispute, Unstoppable Domains CEO Matthew Gould denied accusations of intellectual property theft, stating that their patent applications aim to protect their freedom to operate and defend against potential challenges from large Web2 domain registries.
In November 2023, ENS developers clashed with Unstoppable Domains over a patent claim. ENS developer Nick Johnson dismissed the claim, asserting that the patent relied entirely on innovations developed by ENS. Meanwhile, Unstoppable Domains CEO Matthew Gould clarified their patent filings as strategic moves to safeguard against potential encroachments by large Web2 domain registries.
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