Draft:Unstoppable Domains

[[Category:AfC submissions by date/<0030Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +00002025612 2025-06-02T12:48:00+00:00Mondaypm0000=error>EpMon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000UTC00004820256 UTCMon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +00002025Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000: 17488684806Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000UTC2025-06-02T12:48:00+00:00202512648152UTC02 pu62025-06-02T12:48:00+00:0030upm304820256 2025-06-02T12:48:00+00:0012pmMon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000pm2025-06-02T12:48:00+00:0030UTCMon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +0000 &qu202530;:&qu202530;.</0030Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:48:00 +00002025612>June 2025|Unstoppable Domains]]

• Comment: I think something is wrong with the submission & formatting but let me know when fixed & I'll approve. Caleb Stanford (talk) 05:39, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Changes look good to me & the notability assessment table was helpful. I'll accept this submission. Caleb Stanford (talk) 05:38, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Additional explanation per a request from the submitter on my talk page:
  Sources like CCN can't be used at all since it's crypto news. Dune does not appear to be reliable. Nigerian Guardian looks promotional. Digital First does not appear to be a reliable source. ICANN and IANA are related sources, not independent. Domain Name Wire is just an interview. The Reuters and New York Times are just passing mentions. Forbes is a funding announcement and Tech Crunch doesn't contribute to notability.
  Only item remaining is the Journal of Cyber Policy piece. The Trademark Reporter article may also contribute, but two sources would not be enough anyway and the draft contains a lot of info with unreliable sources.
  Also - to future reviewers, I did not see this during my initial review, but please note that submitter has disclosed a conflict of interest. Avgeekamfot (talk) 04:24, 4 June 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Many of the sources do not appear to be reliable and the draft reads as promotional. Avgeekamfot (talk) 17:44, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

---

Response to reviewers' comments

• I have removed the CCN article and the reference to Dune Analytics, as well as the claims these sources supported
• I have added three articles from Venture Beat, which is on the green list of perennial sources
• I have included a notability assessment of sources below for ease of reference, which now demonstrates clear notability
• I think the Guardian Nigeria source is reliable.
• Several NPOV tone adjustments have been made

Viljowf (talk) 04:33, 5 June 2025 (UTC)

Notability Assessment for Unstoppable Domains

Created with templates {{ORGCRIT assess table}} and {{ORGCRIT assess}}
This table may not be a final or consensus view; it may summarize developing consensus, or reflect assessments of a single editor.

Source	Independent?	Reliable?	Significant coverage?	Secondary?	Overall value toward ORGCRIT
Journal of Cyber Policy
Trademark Reporter
VentureBeat – “Unstoppable Domains launches $10M Women of Web3 initiative”
VentureBeat – “Blockchain.com will let people use human-readable usernames…”
Takahashi, Dean (22 January 2024). "Unstoppable Domains and The Sandbox create Unstoppable metaverse experience". VentureBeat. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
Reuters			–		—
New York Times			–		—
Forbes
TechCrunch		–			—
ICANN
IANA
Guardian Nigeria
Digital First Magazine

Unstoppable Domains

Company type	Private
Industry	Blockchain, Web3, Domain name services
Founded	2018
Founders	Matthew Gould
Key people	Matthew Gould (CEO); Sandy Carter (COO)
Products	Blockchain domain names (.crypto, .nft, .x), Web3 login integration
Services	Decentralized domain name registration, Web3 identity, wallet aliasing
Website	unstoppabledomains.com

Unstoppable Domains is a private technology company based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2018 by Matthew Gould, the company registers both traditional DNS domain names, and domains with endings like '.crypto', '.bitcoin' or '.wallet' that are built on blockchain networks. These blockchain domains can be used to receive cryptocurrency, access decentralized websites, and manage digital identities.

Overview of services

Unstoppable Domains enables the creation and management of domain names, minted as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), granting users full ownership and control of their domains. These domains, often referred to as blockchain-based or NFT domains, function similarly to traditional web addresses, but are stored on public blockchains rather than managed by centralized authorities. Unlike traditional web domains, Unstoppable’s NFT domains incur a one-time purchase fee, with no annual renewal cost. They thus allow users to own their domain names outright. Unstoppable's NFT domains and can be used to simplify complicated crypto wallet addresses, host decentralized websites and to authenticate log-ins for Web3 wallets and applications. As Reuters explains: "'Domain' names such as coin.crypto ... and beer.eth ... are a new breed of NFTs that owners can use to replace the jumble of 16 random numbers and letters that form their digital wallet addresses." The company’s services replace long, alphanumeric cryptocurrency wallet addresses with shorter, personalized domain names. The company also registers traditional DNS domain services.

History

Unstoppable Domains (UNS) was founded in 2019 by Matthew Gould as part of a wave of blockchain startups aiming to build infrastructure for the decentralized web (Web3). The company positioned itself at the intersection of digital identity and domain name systems (DNS), providing blockchain-based NFT domains used for wallet aliases and decentralized websites. It began operations offering blockchain-based domain name registrations, primarily as a way to simplify cryptocurrency transactions and provide censorship-resistant web infrastructure. Early on, the company supported TLDs such as `.crypto` and `.wallet` on the Ethereum blockchain before transitioning to Polygon to improve scalability and lower gas fees. In June 2021, Unstoppable Domains partnered with Blockchain.com to allow users to send and receive cryptocurrency using human-readable domain names instead of traditional long wallet addresses, improving user experience and reducing the risk of errors in blockchain transactions.

UNS gained early prominence alongside Ethereum Name Services (ENS) as one of the two largest providers of blockchain domain names, amid a broader migration of Silicon Valley talent to crypto start-ups. In December 2021, the New York Times reported a wave of high-level departures from firms like Amazon, Meta, and Google to blockchain ventures, including Unstoppable Domains. Sandy Carter, former vice president at Amazon Web Services, joined the company as Senior Vice President of Business Development that same month. Her LinkedIn announcement drew over 350 job inquiries within two days, highlighting the sector's growing appeal to experienced tech professionals.

By March 2022, the two services had collectively registered just over one million domains; this number rose to more than 6 million by March 2023. Of these, UNS accounted for over 3.2 million registrations by April 2023.

By early 2022, Unstoppable Domains had generated $80 million in revenue. In July 2022, the company raised $65 million in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital, achieving a $1 billion valuation and becoming a so-called blockchain "unicorn." The round also included investments from Alchemy Ventures, OKG Investments, and Polygon, with the funds earmarked for expanding the company’s role in Web3 identity infrastructure.

As of 2024, Unstoppable Domains operates as both a traditional domain registrar and a Web3 domain provider. The company received accreditation from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in August 2024. This accreditation allows Unstoppable Domains to operate as an official registrar of conventional DNS .com domain names. It also enables the company to integrate decentralized identity tools into the existing DNS framework, advancing interoperability between Web2 and Web3 services.

In 2025, the company restructured its business model to emphasize on-chain identity and interoperability features in response to the evolving Web3 infrastructure.

Technology and infrastructure

Unstoppable Domains operates on the Polygon, Solana, Base and Sonic blockchains, which are compatible with Ethereum’s computational model but offer lower transaction fees. The company provides second-level domain names under proprietary top-level domains (TLDs) such as '.888', '.bitcoin', '.blockchain', '.coin', '.crypto', '.dao', '.nft`', '.wallet', '.x', and '.zil'. These TLDs are not recognized by traditional internet governance bodies such as the DNS root zone or the IANA Special-Use Domain Names registry.

Unlike the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), which operates as a decentralized public good under a DAO model, Unstoppable Domains is a for-profit entity. It requires all domain registrations to be processed through its own centralized web interface. The underlying smart contracts for data storage can only be initialized by the company itself, and users must register and pay directly through Unstoppable Domains.

Domains minted via Unstoppable Domains are issued as ERC-721 NFTs and stored in users’ crypto wallets, granting permanent ownership without renewal fees. They can function as human-readable aliases for cryptocurrency wallet addresses, can be used as login credentials for some Web3 applications, and host decentralized, censorship-resistant websites using the peer-to-peer InterPlanetary File System (IPFS).

The platform also supports domain "parking", allowing users to store domain names in custodial wallets either individually or in bulk. This enables speculation on resale value or delayed activation. Domain names can be listed for resale on the Unstoppable platform or traded on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea. According to reporting by Reuters, some names have sold for substantial sums, including "wallet.crypto" for $250,000.

As of 2023, Unstoppable Domains reported support of over 265 blockchain-integrated applications with crypto partners including Blockchain.com, Bitcoin.com, Polygon, and OKX.

Privacy and Security

According to the company, its platform is designed to enhance user privacy. Because domain ownership resides entirely with the user, there is no centralized data repository or WHOIS equivalent that can expose personal details. This architecture reduces the risk of centralized data breaches or “honeypots,” according to the company.

However, the lack of centralized oversight has also raised concerns. A Microsoft report in 2021 warned that blockchain domains could be used to establish criminal infrastructure that is difficult to detect or dismantle due to anonymity and decentralization.

Legal considerations

Blockchain domain names (BDNs), such as those offered by Unstoppable Domains, operate independently of the traditional Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) system. As a result, they are not subject to ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which complicates trademark enforcement in cases of infringement or cybersquatting. Legal scholars have noted that existing trademark laws, including the U.S. Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), may not be fully applicable to BDNs, and courts have not definitively ruled on the matter. Due to the absence of centralized oversight and verification mechanisms, BDNs may be vulnerable to practices like "cryptosquatting"—the unauthorized registration of domain names incorporating trademarks.

To address brand protection, the company introduced a "Protected Brands Policy" which reserved domains under the .blockchain TLD for the top 100,000 trademarked names. Unstoppable Domains has also initiated legal action over TLD collisions, notably suing Wallet Inc. and Handshake over the duplication of the .wallet domain, citing consumer confusion and misdirected traffic.

Involvement in Web3 Gaming

In January 2024, Unstoppable Domains partnered with The Sandbox, a decentralized virtual world, to launch a multiplayer metaverse game designed to integrate decentralized digital identities into interactive gaming environments. The project featured live gameplay as well as avatar customization tools and digital collectibles tied to in-game achievements. The collaboration aimed to explore how blockchain-based domain names could function as persistent, user-owned identities within virtual spaces, and to examine new forms of engagement in Web3 gaming.

Outreach and education

In March 2022, Unstoppable Domains launched the "Unstoppable Women of Web3" (Unstoppable WoW3) initiative with a $10 million grant and partnerships with over 65 organizations. These included Google Cloud, Deloitte, Blockchain.com, Polygon, Gemini, and Consensys. The initiative aims to advance diversity and education in the Web3 space by supporting the next generation of talent, particularly women and historically marginalized groups.

As part of the program, Unstoppable Domains committed to distributing over $10 million worth of NFT domains to support women entering Web3. All partner organizations pledged to ensure that at least half of all educational materials feature contributions by historically marginalized creators. Educational content is shared via Twitter Spaces, Discord, Telegram, and in-person events, with the initiative launching on International Women’s Day through a 24-hour Twitter Spaces event.

In March 2023 the company partnered with Unstoppable Women of Web3 (Unstoppable WoW3) to launch a five-year initiative to provide Web3 and metaverse education to six million African women. The program focuses on addressing gender inequality in the Web3 space and improving access to decentralized technologies across the African continent.

The programme includes collaborations with over 19 organizations - including the African Leadership Group, Chipper Cash, Africa Women CEOs Network, Polygon Labs, and the Virtual Brand Group - and offers participants free blockchain-based domains to support user-owned digital identities. Educational content is delivered through online courses, resources, and in-person events, and is made available in multiple languages, including Portuguese, French, and Arabic.

The partnerhip is led by Chief Operating Officer Sandy Carter, who also founded Unstoppable WoW3. In a 2023 interview, Carter emphasized the importance of addressing gender disparities in Web3 and AI industries, and described the development of a free educational content stream available in English and Spanish. The platform includes instructional sessions on topics such as decentralized identity, blockchain, and digital careers, with dedicated tracks for young girls exploring technology.

Workplace culture

Forbes ranked the company on its list of Best Startup Employers for four consecutive years, including in 2025, noting its fully remote work model. .