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Unstoppable Domains is a service that facilitates the creation of blockchain-based domains that users own to build and verify their digital identity and login into applications, games, metaverses, and much more.

In our conversation, we unpack the concept of digital identity in Web3 and discuss where the market is headed.

But first, Matthew explains the importance of having a blockchain-based domain name service.

Listen to the interview in this week’s podcast episode here:

 is an educational and entertaining platform designed to immerse you in the world of web3: what it is, why it matters, and how to get started. You will learn core concepts in visually engaging lessons from the world’s leading self-custodial wallet.

Matthew Gould moved to San Francisco to work at a startup focused on ad tech, where he analyzed data to encourage more product purchases. In his free time, he explored the world of cryptocurrency by attending Bitcoin meetups and participating in hackathons with friends.

He eventually landed on NFT domains as a way to create a portable reputation online, which he believed had great potential for making it easier for people to use crypto.

Matthew and his friends were one of the first teams to put a blockchain-based domain name into an ERC-721 format. Since then, millions of people have used domain names instead of regular addresses to send and receive crypto.

What Unstoppable Domains is, and why we need a decentralized blockchain-based domain service.

Unstoppable Domains is a service that creates web3 domains or NFT domains, which are unique domain names that can be used to send and receive cryptocurrency instead of using long, complex hex addresses.

These domain names include extensions like dot eth, dot nft, and dot crypto. Unstoppable Domains has been working on this for five years and is one of the larger services in this space.

In addition to simplifying crypto payments, Unstoppable Domains allows users to add information about themselves to their NFT domains, which can function as their identities in the crypto world. This information is visible through reverse resolution, meaning that when someone looks up a cryptocurrency address on a blockchain explorer like Etherscan, they can see the associated NFT domain name.

This concept of owning one’s reputation and data on the internet is a key feature of web3, and Unstoppable Domains is a leader in this space by providing blockchain-based domain names that give users more control over their online identities.

I think the concept of using human-readable names instead of long addresses to send and receive information or crypto is a bit confusing for someone new to this use case, especially since it is different from actual website domains.

However, it started as a way to make sending and receiving information or crypto easier, similar to email. Although it initially did not have the same use case as website domains, it has evolved to be able to serve as one. I am not entirely sure how this use case differs from traditional web2.

In web2, the DNS system only allowed for an easy way to look up IP addresses for websites through .com and other domains, but it did not generalize the process to include other computing resources with domain names.

Web3 domains, such as NFT domains, take the next step by allowing for any kind of lookup to be associated with a name that can be owned with a personal wallet, allowing individuals to update their addresses themselves instead of relying on a developer.

Web3 is more consumer-oriented and extensible, allowing for a digital presence to be created and customized with different types of information, such as social profiles and Bitcoin or Ethereum addresses.

I believe that eventually, web2 protocols will migrate onto the web3 infrastructure, or the web3 infrastructure will become backward compatible with web2.

This is a technology upgrade for naming services in general. I think it’s actually pretty revolutionary mostly because it puts the power back in the hands of the individuals for all the information.

Log in to different web3 apps and bring your contacts and data with you, creating a more customized and efficient experience.

Users can add more information to their ID, such as NFT collections or social profiles, and verify their identities on different platforms. This can help prevent application lock-in, where users are limited to using certain apps due to network effects.

Difficulty in managing keys, backups, and recovery.

Lack of education among consumers and developers.

A change in user behavior is required to incorporate identity information into apps.

Difficulty in saving user information for future use.

Difficulty in building consensus and implementing changes across multiple naming services.

Recently, we introduced the Web3 Domain Alliance, which aims to establish standards for lookup procedures and collaborative work with various naming systems. Our objective is to consolidate all these aspects so that several naming services can be resolved with the same fundamental code, which we believe will be extremely beneficial.

What’s the difference, for example, between ENS and Unstoppable Domains?

Each naming service differs in terms of how they function. Some have renewal fees, while others, like Unstoppable Domains, do not. Some are closely associated with specific blockchains, like ENS with Ethereum, Sol with Solana, and Tez with Tezos. Some naming services are even funded by the blockchains they are associated with and are targeted toward their respective communities.

The extensions for each naming service are also different and can be blockchain-specific, generalized for the crypto industry, or related to specific themes like artists and creators. These naming services also differ in brand, target audience, and partnerships.

ENS was the first team to create the first blockchain domain in NFT form, and Unstoppable Domains was the first to allow logging in with a domain name. Signing with Ethereum is also growing, and there are hundreds of applications integrated with different naming systems.

The company has recently achieved significant growth in two areas: domain registrations and live integrations. They now have over 3.2 million domain registrations and 744 live integrations, which is a substantial increase from their previous numbers in 2020, when they had less than a million domains and fewer than 100 integrations.

Unstoppable Domains has experienced 10x growth during this cycle, although the market has slowed down due to the current “crypto winter”. They are currently focusing on improving its products and user experience, with the goal of attracting more people to the crypto and NFT markets over the next couple of years.

When you talk about integrations, what’s an example?

Digital identity can be used in many different places, such as sending cryptocurrency where people need to look up your address. This includes all wallets, and if your wallet is not integrated yet, please contact us to do so.

Integrations allow people to look up the recipient’s name instead of copying and pasting multiple addresses. Browsers like Brave and Opera are also examples of platforms we integrate with, as people often look for website information. Decentralized applications, like those used for minting NFTs, can also benefit from digital identity verification.

By connecting your domain through Unstoppable, you can improve the user experience by providing more information about yourself. Our goal is for this to become the standard for how people interact in crypto.

In the future, you should see ways to connect your domain or send crypto to a domain everywhere you currently see an address or connect wallet button.

Metamask is a type of wallet, and an Unstoppable Domain is the name assigned to the wallet. We don’t do any DeFi transactions and don’t sell cryptocurrency or anything like that.

By setting up a name within the Metamask wallet, such as “cami.nft” it becomes easier for others to send money to that wallet. This could generate more revenue for both the naming service and the wallet through trading, buying NFTs, and making money on swaps.

Additionally, the wallet itself could profit from this collaboration. The overall goal is to bring more information to the wallet app and make it easier for users to manage their finances.

But could you still log in to a web3 app using just your domain and no wallet?

Unstoppable Domains is a service that facilitates the creation of blockchain-based domains that users own to build and verify their digital identity and login into applications, games, metaverses, and much more.

In our conversation, we unpack the concept ...

Unstoppable Domains' Matthew Gould Unpacks Digital Identity in Web3