Metaversal is a Bankless newsletter for weekly level-ups on NFTs and the onchain frontier

Dear Bankless Nation,

With +20 million customers across +84 million domains, GoDaddy is the largest internet domain registrar in the world.

That’s why the newly announced partnership between GoDaddy and the Ethereum Name Service is massive news.

Now, GoDaddy websites can link with ENS addresses to use their traditional domains as crypto wallets and for tapping into any projects that support ENS.

For today’s post, let’s break down the basics of the partnership, how it works, and the big picture!

-WMP

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The ENS x GoDaddy Partnership Explained

Catching Up

GoDaddy 101: GoDaddy provides a suite of popular internet services, including domain registration, web hosting, website builder tools, and more. It caters to customers of all stripes, from beginners launching their own sites to advanced users seeking sophisticated domain management resources.

ENS refresher: ENS is a blockchain-based domain service that translates alphanumeric crypto addresses into human-readable names, functioning similarly to the Domain Name System (DNS) on the traditional web but for Ethereum. Though registered as an NFT on Ethereum, an ENS name can store addresses from many different blockchains, facilitating easier transactions across the cryptoeconomy.

The new partnership: Announced on February 5th, the GoDaddy and ENS collaboration allows GoDaddy’s extensive customer base to easily connect crypto wallets to their traditional domains via ENS. As such, users can now seamlessly manage their traditional domain names in combo with linked ENS names within a single, easy-to-use platform.

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The Main Ideas

How it works: This new collaboration was made possible by ENS’s new Gasless DNSSEC update.

Integrating DNS domains with ENS names has historically been costly due to high Ethereum gas fees required for recording Domain Name System Security Extension (DNSSEC) proofs on the blockchain. The introduction of Gasless DNSSEC, utilizing the CCIP Read (EIP-3668) standard developed by Nick Johnson, enables offchain verification of DNS records without blockchain transactions.

This system, enacted by the ENS DAO, activates a new smart contract for on-demand verification at the DNS Top-Level Domain (TLD) level, removing the financial barrier for domain owners wishing to connect their domains with the ENS ecosystem.

Translation? Now you can connect your DNS names with ENS names for free!

Why it matters: The GoDaddy and ENS partnership represents a significant milestone in the mainstream adoption of blockchain tech, and it also greatly simplifies the user experience for people and businesses keen on both domain management and crypto transactions.

Previously, connecting a DNS domain with an ENS name was a manual, do-it-yourself process and cost ETH for transactions. Now, this process is free and has been streamlined into a simple flow that requires just a handful of clicks on the GoDaddy platform.

As such, this integration means that traditional domain names can now serve a dual purpose as gateways to both the conventional web and the cryptoeconomy simultaneously.

For instance, artists who host their work on GoDaddy-powered websites can seamlessly integrate their ENS to tap into ENS-friendly services and facilitate NFT sales directly through their sites, e.g. having ETH payments sent straight to their domain name. This approach can bypass traditional marketplace fees and foster closer connections between creators and their audiences.

How to Get Started

To begin: If you have a GoDaddy domain and want to link it with a crypto wallet via ENS, you would sign into the GoDaddy Domain Portfolio dashboard and then take these steps.

🖱 Access Domain Settings — From your Domain Portfolio, select the domain you wish to link to an ENS name and click on it to proceed to its Domain Settings page.
🪙 Navigate to “Crypto Wallet” — Within the settings, find and select the “DNS” option. Then, click on the “Crypto Wallet” tab.
🌐 Enable DNSSEC — At the “Step 1” section in the interface, you’ll see an option to “Turn On” DNSSEC, which you’ll select.
👛 Add your wallet — At the “Step 2” section, you’ll input the wallet address of the ENS name you want to connect. Press “Link” to finalize the connection between your GoDaddy domain and your ENS name. It can take 1-48 hours to take effect globally.
📑 Making edits — If you need to update your wallet address in the future, you can do so by selecting “Edit Record” after your domain is linked, allowing you to change your wallet address at any time.

Zooming Out

Bottom line: GoDaddy’s integration with ENS actualizes and symbolizes the bridging of two distinct eras of the internet, web2 and web3.

The big picture: By facilitating free imports of DNS names into ENS, this initiative places ENS on the map for the traditional domain world and also sets the stage for a future where ENS becomes a fundamental component of internet infrastructure. The ease of connecting web2 domains into web3 via ENS can introduce millions to the cryptoeconomy and help integrate more decentralized applications into everyday online experiences!

Today’s action steps:

🔍 Explore the partnership: GoDaddy x ENS
📦 Catch up on my previous write-up: Intro to ERC-404

Author bio

William M. Peaster is the creator of Metaversal—a Bankless newsletter focused on the emergence of NFTs in the cryptoeconomy. He also serves as a senior writer for the main Bankless newsletter.

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Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here.