Unstoppable Domains Review
Unstoppable Domains is an internet domain registrar focused on exotic top-level domains, such as .x, .wallet, and .bitcoin. These are called "NFT domains" and, according to the official website’s help documents, are published as smart contracts on one or more blockchains.
Here’s an Unstoppable Domains review that will reveal:
● how Unstoppable Domains works
● is Unstoppable Domains legit
● what Unstoppable Domains can do
Unstoppable Domains Introduction
According to the official website, 174 apps support NFT domains, including OpenSea, a P2P domain name marketplace, and Cloudflare, a DDOS-prevention service. There is native support for Brave and Opera, with other supported internet browsers being:
● Chrome
● Firefox
● Edge
There is also a Chrome extension that works on all Chromium-based browsers. In case UnstoppableDomains.com gets seized or shut down, all the management tools are available on unstoppable.crypto, which is an NFT domain.
What is Unstoppable Domains?
Unstoppable Domains is a way to turn unreadable wallet addresses, such as “1HLoD9E4SDFFPDiYfNYnkBLQ85Y51J3Zb1”, into something that can be remembered and typed out, such as “MyCryptoWallet.bitcoin”. That is a convenience upgrade doubling as a security measure.
Crypto owners get used to copy/pasting addresses without realizing malicious software can hijack the clipboard to modify the address as it’s being pasted, which is hard to notice when using hard-to-read wallet addresses.
The official help documents state there are seven supported top-level domains:
● .nft
● .dao
● .888
● .bitcoin
● .coin
● .wallet
● .x
They are compliant with the ERC 721 protocol and published on Polygon Network and the Ethereum blockchain. There is another NFT top-level domain mentioned in the help documents, .zil, which is published on Zilliqa, and .crypto, promoted at various points on the website. An NFT domain can be transferred if you mint it on the blockchain, which is explained in this this guide.
Unstoppable Domains IPFS
According to the official help documents, IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a peer-to-peer protocol for sharing and hosting data in a decentralized manner. It allows users to host their website designs across a network of nodes, ensuring decentralization and resistance to cyber-attacks. Unstoppable Domains provides website-building templates as well.
Domain owners can upload up to 20 MB of assets per domain and pin them to IPFS nodes using the native uploader. For assets exceeding that limit, Unstoppable Domains recommends using Pinata.cloud or any other specialized pinning service. There is an option to add an IPFS hash to your domain to guarantee it’s the right one.
Unstoppable Domains Domain Management
The smart contract that controls an NFT domain allows for five actions:
● mint
● transfer
● set an operator
● set an approved address
● burn
Minting happens automatically when the smart contract is created and includes assigning the contract owner. Transferring has two modes — the first keeps resolution settings and the second resets them so the new owner can create new ones.
Operator setting means adding new Ethereum addresses that can manage the domain. The approved address has the same privileges as the owner, though only one is allowed per smart contract.
Finally, burning clears all metadata and domain records from the smart contract. It is not reversible and the domain name remains unavailable.
Unstoppable Domains DNS Records
The DNS records are stored across four namespaces:
● crypto.*
● browser.*
● dweb.*
● dns.*
Records held in these namespaces help resolve the underlying wallet addresses but also include records of crypto payments. One example given in the documentation is "crypto.ETH.address'' resolving to "0xD1E5b0FF1287aA9f9A268759062E4Ab08b9Dacbe". Price tickers can be shown too.
Unstoppable Domains Premium and Protected Domains
The Unstoppable Domains devs have decided to protect some NFT domains for the time being to promote adoption. These are domains that could be linked with a brand or an organization, though there is a form to apply for a protected domain.
As of May 2022, Unstoppable Domains sells 981 Premium domains with catchy, memorable names, such as meme.coin, moon.coin, and love.crypto. Their prices start from $1,200 and go up to $100,000.
Unstoppable Domains API
You can register as an authorized reseller of domains and accept payments for sales through Stripe. The API allows for the following actions:
● claim a domain for free or buy one
● check the order status
● check for available domain names
● get suggestions on domain names
● get suggestions on free domain names
● make a reservation on a free domain name for a while
It is possible to have malicious parties front-running your domain name requests but the API documentation claims this is a 1-in-a-10,000 occurrence. Wait until the request is fully mined, which might take some time.
Is Unstoppable Domains Safe?
Other Unstoppable Domains reviews do not indicate any security issues.
Keep in mind a crypto-related service requires due diligence. For Unstoppable Domains, it appears the main concept is foolproof but the adjacent services may be leaky and either doxx you or allow access to your wallet. The more services are attached to an NFT domain, the higher the chance of a catastrophe.
Unstoppable Domains should not be blindly trusted and, though convenient, should not be used to centralize all your crypto-related assets and personal information. Only use the decentralized parts of Unstoppable Domains and scrutinize everything to ensure it’s up to your standards.
There is 2FA through an authenticator phone app and Twitter verification too. By adding your Twitter handle to your NFT domain, the supported apps display it in the interface, confirming your identity. Chainlink is used to confirm it’s the correct Twitter account. Private Twitter accounts cannot be used for verification.
Unstoppable Domains Pros & Cons
Pros:
● One-time purchase fee
● The domain cannot be seized
● Makes crypto transactions more convenient
Cons:
● Complicated to set up
● Can be used to doxx you
● Major search engines do not index NFT domains
● Associates a wallet address with a domain name, possibly jeopardizing both
Should You Use an Unstoppable Domain?
The concept is fresh and execution solid. The underlying documentation shows a lot of effort and care, providing a solid foundation and many opportunities to experiment with cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
However, not all products and services integrated with Unstoppable Domains are equally worthy of trust. The best course of action is using Unstoppable Domains in a way that you’re comfortable with and that you’re absolutely certain won’t backfire.
Unstoppable Domains FAQ
How do I discover NFT domains?
UnstoppableDomains.com has a search bar, which is a surefire way to search for them. You can also use a partner app that uses the Unstoppable Domains search bar or a service that indexes NFT domains, such as a blockchain app.
Can someone doxx me through an NFT domain?
Unlike traditional registrars, there is no obligation to associate personal information with an NFT domain. According to the Unstoppable Domains website, attaching personal information to an NFT domain is disabled by default and opt-in.
How come an NFT domain cannot be seized?
An NFT domain serves as an alias for the owning wallet’s blockchain address. As long as the owning wallet isn’t seized, the NFT domain cannot be seized either. Changes to the NFT domain’s ownership are done through the smart contract on the blockchain, which requires the owning wallet’s authorization.
What else can I do with an NFT domain?
You can host your NFT gallery, add an avatar to the domain, and use it as a login for a dapp. Note that an NFT gallery uploaded to an NFT domain will replace the website hosted there. Only static image NFTs are allowed as a profile picture.
What if I lose access to the owning wallet?
The only recourse is using the seed phrase to regenerate the wallet. There’s nothing Unstoppable Domains can do to recover lost wallets and domains associated with them.
Can I get a refund?
Unstoppable Domains has four refund scenarios:
● Unminted domains, which are refunded within 14 days of purchase
● Minted domains, which are refunded within 14 days of purchase but require manual approval by the support staff
● Airdropped domains are non-refundable unless they were meant to be protected domain
● Protected domains are refundable at any time as long as the domain ownership is returned to Unstoppable Domains
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