On 2 April 2025, Freename & eco’s topDNS Initiative hosted the ninth in a series of topDNS Best Practice webinars. In the Navigating Web3 Domains webinar, Paolo Domenighetti, CTO of Freename, gave an introduction to the emerging landscape of Web3 domains, highlighting their differences from legacy domains, their potential use cases, and the challenges they present.
Introduction to Web3 Domains
Web3 domains are built on blockchain technology, representing a decentralised, transparent alternative to the legacy domain name system (DNS). Domenighetti explained that, unlike classical domains, which are centrally managed and controlled, Web3 domains are owned directly by users and stored as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in digital wallets. The concept of decentralisation offers greater autonomy and censorship resistance, but also introduces new challenges, particularly around security and interoperability.
“Web3 domains allow users to directly own the domains as NFTs, offering complete control over them without the need for legacy registrars”
Paolo Domenighetti explained that the key difference between Web3 domains and legacy domains is the ownership model. Web3 domains are stored on blockchain networks, allowing users to own their domain directly without relying on third-party intermediaries. This decentralised ownership structure creates a unique set of challenges, as blockchain technology itself is transparent but also anonymous, making it difficult to track bad actors.
Check out the report summary here.