Web3 domains are based on blockchain tech­nol­o­gy and allow for de­cen­tral­ized ad­min­is­tra­tion. They’re saved as NFTs in blockchains like Ethereum, making them cen­sor­ship-resistant and fully owned by the user. They link cryp­tocur­ren­cy wallets, de­cen­tral­ized websites and other Web3 ap­pli­ca­tions, which makes them a central part of the new, user-centered internet.

What is a Web3 domain name?

Web3 domains are unique digital iden­ti­ties that are stored on a blockchain and reg­is­tered and run as a non-fungible token (NFT). They are in­te­grat­ed as smart contracts in blockchains like Ethereum, Polygon and Solana and enable de­cen­tral­ized, un­change­able and secure name al­lo­ca­tion. They serve as addresses that can be read by humans, for example for cryp­tocur­ren­cy wallets or de­cen­tral­ized ap­pli­ca­tions (also known as DApps).

Because they are stored on a blockchain, Web3 domains are forgery-proof and enable direct in­ter­ac­tion with Web3 protocols without central control instances. They’re im­ple­ment­ed in the form of NFT standards like ERC-721 and ERC-1155, which ensures their in­ter­op­er­abil­i­ty with other blockchain ap­pli­ca­tions. The domains are a central part of the in­fra­struc­ture of the de­cen­tral­ized internet and offer a permanent digital identity that works in­de­pen­dent­ly of cen­tral­ized providers.

De­f­i­n­i­tion

Web3 refers to the next level of de­vel­op­ment of the internet, which is based on de­cen­tral­iza­tion, blockchain tech­nol­o­gy and user-con­trolled iden­ti­ties. Unlike tra­di­tion­al Web2, which is dominated by cen­tral­ized platforms and in­ter­me­di­aries, Web3 enables direct, secure and trans­par­ent in­ter­ac­tions between users. That creates an internet-based ecosystem in which property, data pro­tec­tion and digital trans­ac­tions can be managed without cen­tral­ized au­thor­i­ties.

What’s the dif­fer­ence between tra­di­tion­al domains and Web3 domains?

Unlike tra­di­tion­al domains, which are managed by cen­tral­ized reg­is­trars, Web3 domain names are stored on a blockchain. That elim­i­nates de­pen­den­cy on in­sti­tu­tions like ICANN and DENIC. Domain owners have full control of their domain and don’t need to pay yearly fees. While classic domains are primarily used for accessing cen­tral­ized websites, Web3 domains also offer features like direct linking with wallet addresses and support for de­cen­tral­ized ap­pli­ca­tions.

They also allow for the hosting of cen­sor­ship-resistant websites in peer-to-peer networks. Their de­cen­tral­ized nature protects against domain seizures and fa­cil­i­tates global trans­ac­tions. However, Web3 domains aren’t yet natively supported by all browsers, which limits their reach.

Domain Checker

What are the top 15 Web3 domains?

Web3 domains have been around for less than a decade, but 10 million new domain endings have already been reg­is­tered. Here are the most popular Web3 domain endings according to the Global Domain Report 2025 by InterNetX:

  1. .eth: One of the most well-known Web3 domains; managed by the Ethereum Name Service, which is often used to link to Ethereum wallets
  2. .nft: NFT domain for iden­ti­fy­ing digital col­lectibles and NFT projects and making them more ac­ces­si­ble
  3. .crypto: Ending for crypto wallets, de­cen­tral­ized websites and Web3 iden­ti­ties
  4. .wallet: Optimized for crypto payments; enables easy use as a wallet address in lieu of long al­phanu­mer­ic strings
  5. .x: Short and versatile domain ending for various uses
  6. .blockchain: This blockchain domain indicates direct con­nec­tion to blockchain tech­nol­o­gy and is often used for projects in the field of smart contracts and DeFi
  7. .bitcoin: Specially designed for Bitcoin-related services to support wallets, payment services and de­cen­tral­ized ap­pli­ca­tions in the Bitcoin ecosystem
  8. .zil: Created by the Zilliqa Name Service (ZNS) and closely connected with the Zilliqa blockchain
  9. .dao: Used by de­cen­tral­ized au­tonomous or­ga­ni­za­tions (DAOs) to mark their digital presence
  10. .888: A very symbolic extension often as­so­ci­at­ed with luck, ex­clu­siv­i­ty and high-value digital assets
  11. .polygon: Developed for users and projects in the Polygon network
  12. .go: A flexible ending that’s often used for gaming, metaverse projects and Blockchain ap­pli­ca­tions
  13. .metaverse: Specially developed for virtual worlds, digital real estate and immersive Web3 ex­pe­ri­ences to clearly identify metaverse projects
  14. .hi: In­no­v­a­tive domain ending fre­quent­ly used for per­son­al­ized digital iden­ti­ties
  15. .hodl: Popular ending among crypto and trading en­thu­si­asts that refers to the term “HODL”, meaning holding on for a long time

What are the most expensive Web3 domain names?

Web3 domain names are often expensive, as they are based on unique digital assets that are reg­is­tered as NFTs on a blockchain. Ad­di­tion­al­ly, they are per­ma­nent­ly owned by the buyer, without annual renewal fees, which increases their long-term value. Below we list the most expensive Web3 domain name purchases according to DotNames:

  1. paradigm.eth – $1,508,884
  2. 000.eth – $317,759
  3. abc.eth – $253,100
  4. deepak.eth – $220,401
  5. porno.eth – $204,505
  6. mazars.eth – $195,067
  7. artdao.eth – $194,560
  8. sapdeutschland.eth – $179,731
  9. ensmaxisnft.eth – $166,315
  10. opensea.eth – $163,889
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