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Jan 18, 2022 7 min read


WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY ENS DOMAIN? 9 TOP USE CASES

Discover what are ENS domains, if you should buy one and how you can use them.


If you spend any time on NFT Twitter, or you’re learning more about web 3.0,
you'll quickly come across people using .eth domain names. These are known as
Ethereum Name Service, or ENS domains.

What exactly are they, and how can you use them? And are they a replacement for
a traditional .com domain name? I purchased bryanjcollins.eth and
creatoreceonomyshow.eth via the ENS domain name service to find out. I also
experimented with a variety of ENS domain name use cases to explore how to use
this emerging Web 3.0 technology.

Here are some of the use cases for ENS domain names that work today:


WHAT IS AN ENS DOMAIN NAME?

An Ethereum name service or ENS domain name is an alternative to the traditional
domain name system (DNS). The service launched on May 4th 2017 and anyone can
register an ENS domain name. Ownership and other records are verifiable via the
Ethereum blockchain.

You don’t need to know the IP address of a website it, that’s what a memorable
.com name is for. ENS domains are a blockchain version whereby you can use an
ENS name instead of a complicated string of characters and letters.

To buy a ENS domain name, use Ethereum Name Service, Unstoppable Domains or
MyEtherWallet. On first glance, buying an ENS domain name looks cheaper than a
.com. However, you also must pay gas or Gwei, a fee for using the Ethereum
blockchain. I spent about $90 on Gwei fees buying my ENS domain.

Getting started in the space is more expensive than acquiring a .com, at least
at first. That may explain why the ENS domain name service airdropped thousands
of dollars in free tokens into the wallets of early adopters last year.



Below, I explain what web 3.0 content creators and publishers can do with an ENS
domain.


1. CLAIM A WEB 3.0 USERNAME

A .eth domain name, paired with a picture-for-profile NFT, demonstrates you're
involved in the NFT or web 3.0 space to followers. As a username, it’s instantly
recognisable to those in the know. Consider it part of the culture of web 3.0.
After purchasing an ENS domain, you can associate with:

 * A website URL
 * Twitter profile
 * Email address
 * Discord handle
 * Telegram handle
 * Avatar

Associating an avatar with an ENS domain name is particularly useful.
Essentially, this step links a verified picture-for-profile NFT that you own
with an ENS address. Your avatar then appears on OpenSea and other web 3.0
properties.

Check out this guide for adding an avatar.


2. CREATE A PSEUDONYMOUS ONLINE IDENTITY

A .eth domain is a way of creating a pseudonym or online person. You can
accumulate a reputation and grow a following around this online avatar while
maintaining your privacy. Associating a picture-for-profile NFT with an ENS
domain fuels this process.

Spend any time in Discord communities or on Twitter, and you'll quickly come
across people using NFTs as picture-for-profiles. Many add their .eth or ENS
domains in their handle or bio to build their avatar’s credibility.

The pseudonymous use case has huge demand. Reddit, for example, claims over 400
million anonymous users. It’s also a great way of building an identify that’s
free of stereotypes around race, gender or background.


3. INSPECT THE CONTENTS OF AN ETHEREUM WALLET’S CONTENTS

If an Ethereum address is associated with an ENS domain name, you can inspect
its contents using the Etherscan Blockchain Explorer.

Typically, you usually paste in an Ethereum address to view transactions and
holdings. But if I paste in an Ethereum Name Service address, I can see all of
the transactions on a particular wallet too.

I can also see any associated text records like a website URL or Twitter
profile. In short, it’s verifiable proof about what an address claims to
represent. If you want to see the NFTs inside a particular wallet, paste the
address into rainbow.me.

So, find your favorite NFT influencer on Twitter, take their handle and paste it
into either service to see what tokens, coins and NFTs they hold, at least in
their public-facing wallet.


4. AS AN NFT

ENS domains are registered using the ER-721 standard. In short, they operate
much like NFTs. You can store, transfer, and trade them in the same way. You can
also these non-fungible tokens as a type of investment.

It’ll be interesting to see how big the secondary market for ENS domain names
becomes. For example, some optimistic ENS owners listed Amazon.eth and Nike.eth
for $1million and $4 million, respectively.


5. SEND AND RECEIVE CRYPTO AND NFTS

You can use an ENS domain to receive cryptocurrencies from others. Followers can
also send ENS domain name holders tips to support their work. For example, I add
addresses for my Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets to my .Eth domain. I can also add
a Litecoin and DOGE addresses.

Now, someone can send relevant crypto using my ENS domain name rather than a
complicated address. I can also use it to transfer crypto. It's much easier
remembering bryanjcollins.eth than a long series of numbers and letters, which
are easily mixed up.

NFT investors also use these domains to transfer purchases from one wallet to
another. I purchased a relatively inexpensive NFT called CryptoApes via my
Metamask software wallet to test this out. I pasted in my ENS address into
OpenSea and transferred this NFT to my other wallet safely.


6. BUILD A WEB 3.0 PUBLICATION

Creators can associate an ENS domain name with web 3.0 website. You can also
associate one with publishing and decentralized social (DeSo) platforms.

Examples include Steemit, Bitclout and Mirror.xyz. Although it only launched in
2020, Mirror is more established than its competitors. It’s a publishing and
distribution platform for writers and content creators. You can use it to:

 * Launch a web 3.0 blog
 * To distribute writings via the blockchain
 * Launched NFTs based on the written word
 * Create personal coins readers fans can buy

I created my Mirror account and linked my publication to my ENS address. This
DeSo platform then added this domain URL to my publication. However, there’s a
big caveat to web 3.0 blogging and publishing.

Although ENS domain name ownership is verifiable on the blockchain, acquiring
one doesn’t grant copyright ownership of a brand name or intellectual property
either. Building a web 3.0 website doesn’t translate into organic search traffic
either.

For example, if I run a site search for this website, I can see all indexed
content as it’s a traditional .com. However, Google doesn’t index content on a
.eth domain correctly. So, don’t expect lots of organic search traffic for your
Web 3.0 blog or site, at least not yet.


7. COMPLEMENT YOUR .COM PROPERTY

A .ENS domain name pairs nicely with a traditional .com property, but it doesn’t
replace one.

Traditionally, a content creator or web publisher buys a domain name using a
registrar service like Namecheap like GoDaddy, links it to their hosting
provider and launches a site. Registering a traditional domain name costs
approximately $5-15 per year, assuming you can find a suitable and available
name.

An ENS domain name isn’t meant as a top-level domain system either. If you paste
an ENS domain into Google Chrome, it will have trouble resolving it unless you
add HTTPS.

That said, the ENS domain name service explicitly calls out that .eth domains
are censorship-resistant and can’t be cancelled, unlike a .com.


8. CREATE AN ENS SUBDOMAIN

You may be wondering what is an ENS subdomain? An ENS subdomain is an addition
to a primary blockchain domain name.

As the owner of an ENS domain, you can pick any subdomain that works for your
brand or business.

A subdomain works similarly to a primary ENS domain. You can add wallet
addresses for Ethereum, Bitcoin, Litcoin and Doge as well as various text
records. Adding sub-domains is useful for managing multiple wallets.

You could give employeers or team members within your company their own
subdomains. For example, I created a subdomain like pay.bryanjcollins.eth as a
sub-domain. I can use this sub-domain to manage a different Ethereum wallet.
Remember, creating a sub-domain incurs gas fees.

You could also sell subdomains on a secondary marketplace. I’m a member of the
Cyberkongz NFT community and the project plans on selling .Kongs ENS subdomains
with its NFTS.


9. FOR FUTURE-PROOFING

If you’re serious about building a platform in Web 3.0 or you simply want to get
more involved in the space, you’ll need to acquire a .Eth domain. This service
has first mover advantage over less-known or used alternatives.

That said, after buying several ENS domains, Ethereum is only only one
blockchain, and it’s expensive to use. Over the coming years, it'll be
interesting to see if other web 3.0 domain name services become more popular and
widely accepted.

However, content creators and publishers today still need a traditional .com,
.io, .net, or another widely accepted top-level domain name for their personal
brand or business. So, buy both if you can.

Learn more about the bullish case for NFTS.


ENS DOMAINS: THE FINAL WORD

ENS domain names may represent the future of web 3.0 for website owners. Today,
you can use a .ETH domain name for sending and receiving cryptocurrency. They’re
also a way of claiming an identity online and for managing your NFTs.

They also have several other technical use cases too. For example, many
developers and project owners use ENS domain names to build decentralized
applications (dAaps) and websites.

Buying an ENS domain name is a good step into Web 3.0. Purchase it for several
years to reduce gas fees. Then, go and create!


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