Are Crypto Domains a Good Investment?

Crypto domains are potentially far better investments than traditional domains. You can use them to pay crypto directly, list domains as NFTs, sell them as tokenized assets, rent them to others, or use them to build your website. With over 100 app integrations, crypto domain market value is on the rise.

Crypto Domains Explained

It might seem crypto domains are just another extension. Does it really matter for users if your website is .com or .crypto? Indeed, there are differences in SEO, security, and features.

Yet, the first mistake is to think of these trendy “domains” as such. They’re not another .com or .io. Crypto domains are NFTs with web utility.

So while they look the same on search, there’s more than catches the eye:

• As NFTs, domains are assets (tokens) that you keep in your decentralized wallet. Because only you can access it, this implies there often are no renewal fees. It’s also easy to prove or transfer its ownership.
• Domain NFTs aren’t attached to ape pictures but wallet public keys. That long string of text you paste to receive payments can now be johndoe.eth. So when you send crypto from Metamask, typing the domain name will send tokens to the same long wallet.

Which by the way, is why we use domains in the first place. Domains made IP addresses readable (long numbers with dots) and easier to find online. That started the shift from Web1 to Web2, and now crypto domains are part of the Web3 transition.

• Crypto domains are entries on a public blockchain (like Ethereum). So they leverage the security of their consensus mechanism. You don’t store domains on a server that can be hacked, but a decentralized ledger where anyone can see you as the domain owner. (While crypto exchanges lose money on cyber-attacks, the actual blockchains have negligible risk.)

Your crypto domain is more than a web name. It can be a listing in an NFT marketplace, the username others type to send you money, or the ownership proof you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Are Crypto Domains Good Investments?

If domains make good investments, so do crypto domains. The difference is that blockchain names are NFTs (some of which sell for thousands), which trade for cryptocurrencies with high price potential like Ethereum. And instead of paying annual fees, you can keep them forever with one $50 purchase.

So are domains still good investments?

If you bought in the 90s, you may have made as much as those who flipped NFTs before 2020. But the Dot Com bubble is long over, everything is taken, and you lose money every year you don’t sell. Too late for domain investing, right?

2019 has proven it wrong. Old extensions that have been around for decades have suddenly become favorites among tech startups. .CO, .IO, .AI, .TECH, .PRO, .TV (.IO for example, often sells higher than .COM).

Who says crypto names can’t restart the domain gold rush?

These cost at most, $100 worth of crypto. If you don’t sell, it will be worth more because of the long-term uptrend of Bitcoin and Ethereum prices. You can still trade them for other NFTs or use them on your website.

Are all crypto names valuable? That’s like saying any .com domain will make millions (neither do NFTs). Hence why the first step is knowing the right domain type to buy.

Types of Crypto Domains for Sale

As with traditional domains, not all crypto domains are the same. Different rarities have different prices, and sometimes you can own the domain without having the NFT.

The first classification is by rarity:

• Premium Domains have less than four characters or stand for big-brand names. Domain registrars typically sell them above $10,000 to prevent domain squatting (e.g., someone who buys google.eth for $50 and resells for $5M or holds forever).
• Ordinary Domains have more than five characters. The price depends on the extension and platform. For example, .ETH domains cost $5 a year, but a .CRYPTO is a $40 one-time payment.

The second classification is by domain format. A domain is only yours when you get the NFT, which isn’t always the case:

• Domain NFTs are permanent assets in your non-custodial wallet. No one can take them away, but you can trade them anytime like anything else. However, you might have network fees to pay if you want to run a website.
• Tokenized domains are domain NFTs broken down into tokens. These help traders sell domains faster because buyers can invest in them without buying. For example, you might buy 3 of 100 $1,000 tokens of a $1M domain and profit when it increases to $2M. When you tokenize, you still keep the NFT and admin rights.
• Rented domains aren’t that different from annual renewals. But if instead you could pay for one or two months, think of how many famous names would be available to you. Thus, small traders can rent these for lower rates, either to boost website traffic or test before the purchase. Domain owners also get more value from their NFTs, so they can patiently wait to sell for more or quickly sell for less and still profit.

How to Buy a Crypto Domain

Buying a crypto domain is easier than buying traditional domains. All you need is a domain platform, a name, and a form of payment.

Explore Crypto Domain Platforms

Starting with domain platforms, there isn’t much choice:

• Unstoppable Domains is the most user-friendly and popular. This means it’s the easiest to register and most likely to be accepted anywhere online. You pay once, and it’s yours forever.
• Namecoin is the first ever decentralized DNS. To get one, you buy Namecoins from an exchange, visit namecoin.org, and trade them for a domain of your choice. Users still need to download Namecoin software to read these websites.
• Cloudname is a domain NFT marketplace. Unlike registrars, you can also rent, buy domain fractions, or tokenize assets as domain NFTs. Both traditional and crypto domains are available.
• Angoname is a secondary domain marketplace. Instead of buying from a company like Unstoppable, you can trade crypto domains with other users directly.
• Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is the second most popular and the only WEB3 App. It’s also the only registrar that sells yearly subscriptions instead of one-time fees. However, you can pay in advance for as many years as you like.

For example, buying a common domain for 100 years would cost you ~$500. 4-character names cost $160 and 3-character names cost $640 per year. They might change prices without warning, but it’s no problem if you buy many years.

Choose Your Name And Extension

Before you choose your crypto domain platform, it’s important to choose your name. The decision depends on the global extension because it’s exclusive to the registrar. Luckily, Unstoppable Domains sell almost every extension, including dot Bitcoin, Crypto, Wallet, NFT, Blockchain, X, DAO, and others.

Note: You’ll know which company owns the extension because they post them as NFTs on explorers like Opensea. These platforms make good secondary marketplaces and also show you better domains available.

Exclusive extensions are .ETH on ENS and .BIT on Namecoin. This doesn’t mean you can’t buy somewhere else (e.g., on PeerName), but you’ll be paying for intermediaries too.

Select Payment Methods

Lastly, the payment method depends on the platform format. Most DNSs are companies that accept both fiat money and top cryptocurrencies. If there is any registration, it’s just giving an email without verification needed. In the case of ENS, you connect your wallet the same way you’d do for every other WEB3 app.

After you select your payment method and confirm, the domain should appear in your account and wallet as an NFT. Depending on where you bought it, the domain will:

1. Be yours forever once paid once (Unstoppable Domains).
2. Be programmed to expire after a number of blocks (Namecoin) unless you pay a network fee every ~220 days.
3. Be an annual service (e.g., ENS) that needs constant renewals.

Not all domains last forever just because they’re on blockchains. Read each platform’s terms to avoid confusion.

FAQ

Can You Buy a Domain Name With Crypto?

Cryptocurrency is the standard payment method for buying crypto domains. Some domain marketplaces are dApps, so you can buy from Metamask within seconds without registration. Depending on where you buy, they sell for Ethereum, Tether, Bitcoin, or utility tokens.

These marketplaces often sell both crypto and traditional domains. If it’s possible to buy for fiat money, it’s probably a centralized platform with the ability to suspend your account. For example, while Unstoppable Domains can’t remove domain NFTs, it can block your account to disable website access (should you act against their terms).

My Crypto Domain Doesn’t Load The Website

By default, most browsers don’t load these websites because crypto domains are still very new. To fix this, you need to install an extension that enables crypto domains or an app that supports them. Browsers like Opera and Brave already have these built-in features in settings, so you can enable them in a few clicks.

Eventually, blockchain domains should load by default on all devices. If you’re worried about getting lower traffic or higher bounce rates, you can buy a second traditional domain for your website. Even though blockchain domains are global extensions (like .com), they’re still new for search engines, and they won’t appear on search results.

How To Use Crypto Domains To Send Crypto?

Before you use your domain name for crypto payments, it’s worth testing it yourself. All you need to do is buy the domain name and type it when sending crypto payments. If you bought “yourname.eth,” then you type that when sending tokens in the Ethereum blockchain on, say, Metamask. 

You’ll know it’s registered because it will appear on the list with the public address associated. Some apps also let you hide that address in case you want to keep it private from unknown senders.