Blockchain Comes to Internet Browsers: ENS to Launch .box Web Domains in September
The leading Web3 identification project, Ethereum Name Service (ENS), is launching a new domain name extension dubbed .box in September 2023.
The lead developer of ENS, Nick Johnson, shared this update on Twitter on June 7 noting that the upcoming development would be the first blockchain-native domain name system (DNS)-routable Top-level Domain (TLD).
ENS Is Integrating Blockchain To Web2
According to Nick Johnson’s tweet, the proposed .box TLD is a joint venture between the ENS and My.box.
The registration for the domain names will follow a similar approach to .eth domains.
The upcoming .box TLD is a blockchain-based internet name service enabling Ethereum users to direct links to websites and send emails.
The .box is Ethereum Name Service-enabled, meaning the registration to obtain or transfer a .box domain will be via the Ethereum blockchain.
The .box domain names allow the NFT owner to own both the DNS-based and ENS-based names. According to the announcement, the service will roll out by September.
The new internet name system raised censorship concerns among the crypto community. A user asked how resistant the .box domain names are to censorship.
He also enquired about the possibility of the FBI seizing control of the TLD.
“Serious question: What happens when the FBI demand that whoever runs the .box DNS resolver redirect to the standard FBI takedown page?” he asked.
In response, Nick Johnson said it seems unlikely for the FBI to try and seize a whole TLD. To the question about censorship, Johnson said:
“No; ICANN requires that they have an AUP and adhere to the UDRP process, so there will still be a way for names to be seized.”
Johnson’s response implies that the .box TLD is not resistant to censorship and would operate similarly to a regular domain name.
ENS’.Eth Versus .box Domains
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a blockchain-native domain name system that gives users identity across Web3 and crypto platforms.
It shares the same basic concept with traditional domain name systems, only that it uses a distributed technology based on the Ethereum blockchain.
The primary function of ENS is to convert machine-readable identifiers like cryptocurrency addresses to human-readable domain names.
ENS addresses or URLs end with .eth and eliminate the long strings of numbers in crypto addresses with simple domain names, like “James.eth.”
Each .eth domain name is an identifier used to identify Ethereum addresses, hashes, metadata, and other blockchain-based addresses.
The soon-to-launch .box naming system operates similarly to .eth. The main difference is; unlike the .eth, which does not use the traditional web DNS, .box domains will be accessible through the ENS and web browsers. With the new .box domains, users can assess their blockchain addresses on web browsers.
