How to Access NFT Domains

How to Access NFT Domains? Your 101 Guide

You’ve recently purchased your first NFT domain, and you’re willing to get inspired by other websites to make yours even better. But one problem emerges pretty quickly; you can’t open and access NFT domains.

One of the disadvantages of NFT domains is that they aren’t natively displayed on all browsers without modifying the settings a little. Since these alternative domains are getting more popular by the day on the web, let’s go through all the details browser by browser and start accessing NFT pages.

What Browsers Support NFT Domains?

While NFT domains can be natively accessed and viewed on Opera and Brave browser, this isn’t the case for the most popular ones, such as Google Chrome or Firefox. In fact, only these two browsers support the protocols on blockchain networks. Let’s go through how to access blockchain domains on all browsers.

Access NFT Domains on Your Browser

There are several factors to consider before jumping in a buying your domain name. From renting or buying a domain to your registrar’s settings and more, let’s go deep into the details.

Access NFT Domains on Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the most famous web browser on the market, with over 50% of people using it to access the internet. And while it has all the functionalities one may want from it, it doesn’t natively access and display blockchain domains.

However, the settings can be changed for you to view them, access them, and even build a website using NFT domains. Follow the steps below to get started.

  1. Head over to Google Chrome’s settings clicking on the 3-dotted button on the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security and select Security
  3. Scroll down to the advanced setting part and find “Use secure DNS”. From here, select With customized and enter the following URL https://resolver.unstoppable.io/dns-query
  4. Now that you have set up this custom and secure DNS, you will be able to access blockchain domains through Google.

Access NFT Domains on Microsoft Edge

While Microsoft Edge does not natively display NFT domains, a few clicks will get you there. Just like with Google Chrome, some simple steps are needed:

  1. Click on the three-dot option and get into the settings
  2. Select Privacy, search, and services
  3. After that, scroll down to see “Choose a service provider” in Security
  4. Paste the following URL in that text box: https://resolver.unstoppable.io/dns-query
  5. Close the tab, and you can now start accessing NFT domains on Microsoft Edge.

Access NFT Domains on Mozilla Firefox

If you use Mozilla Firefox as your everyday browser, you’ll have to change the settings to access blockchain domains slightly.

First of all, go to the Hamburger menu and select the Settings sections. Once you’re there, follow these steps:

  1. Head over to General, scroll down on the page, and, under Network settings, click on Settings.
  2. After that, under Enable DNS over HTTPS, set the Use Provider as Customer and paste the following URL: https://resolver.unstoppable.io/dns-query
  3. Save the changes by clicking on OK, and you’re good to go. You can now access NFT domains on Mozilla Firefox.

Access NFT Domains on a Smartphone

Blockchain domains can also be accessed on a smartphone, and things vary slightly between Android and iOS devices.

After downloading your favourite browsers when using an Android phone or tablet, simply follow the instructions above.

But, on the other hand, if you use an iPhone or iPad, you will have to download and set up this DNS profile. Your device will automatically install it once you open it, and you will have access to blockchain domains using Safari.

How to Navigate NFT Domains?

After changing your favorite browser’s settings, you’re now ready to explore the other face of the internet, but how?

Once you know which domain you want to visit, let’s say domain.wallet, you will need to add http:// – http://domain.wallet. That’s right; many regular websites are shown as https:// but, since these blockchain domains aren’t classified as secure just yet, the “s” has to be removed.

Apart from that, you’ll have to add a slash at the end of the domain. Your final URL should therefore be http://domain.wallet/.

Browsers sometimes don’t understand that the URL is a domain unless you use that final slash. If not, your browser may redirect you to your default search engine and treat it as a query, which, needless to say, won’t be helpful at all.

Are NFT Domains Safe?

We just highlighted the fact that NFT domains aren’t classified as secure by some browsers. For this reason, a natural question arises – are they safe to access?

The simple answer is yes, NFT domains are very safe, and they can’t be hacked. This means that once the domain is registered under the owner’s wallet in the blockchain, it can’t be hacked, and, therefore, no malicious attacks will happen on the site.

Apart from that, the owner can only block the domain, and no one can take them down because of censorship. In simple words, NFT domains are incredibly safe for both visitors willing to access them and investors that want to purchase one.

Everything You Should Know Before Buying a Domain

Everything You Should Know Before Buying a Domain

Choosing a domain name is only the first part of the process, and, with regards to purchasing it, it’s critical to look past a simple web address and consider more elements.

Your domain name will become the homepage of your brand, and once it’s established, you can’t really go back. But apart from getting and purchasing your perfect domain name, what do you need to consider?

This is what we’ll go through in this complete guide. Let’s dive into the subject from what to check before buying to the unwritten rules of NFT domains.

Why a Domain Name is Important

First things first, let’s elaborate on why you need a domain name for your business. There are other utilities other than simply replacing your crypto address with your NFT URL when it comes to blockchain domains.

A domain name, or more specifically, a website, is what makes your brand stand out from the competition and where you showcase your products or portfolio.

While Google doesn’t currently index blockchain domains, they will be in the future, and you should be prepared for what’s to come in the near future.

What are Registrars?

Before discussing all the details of buying a domain, let’s elaborate on the registrars’ essential part of the game.

The registrar of a domain name is an organization that handles reservations of these domains. Registrars have to be accredited by country code top-level in order to execute their function. In plain words, registrars store domain names, and this is where users go to purchase or rent them, such as Cloudname.

What You Should Know Before Buying a Domain

There are several factors to consider before jumping in a buying your domain name. From renting or buying a domain to your registrar’s settings and more, let’s go deep into the details.

Renting or Buying a Domain

Of course, the first thing that comes to your mind is whether buying or renting your domain name is the right option. Price is the most crucial part of any purchase, and when it comes to NFT domains, it can get high pretty quickly, hence why many users decide to rent it.

In terms of NFT domains, will you buy a domain that will be yours for life? Or would you instead rent it and pay renewal fees each month or year?

While buying a domain can seem costly at first, it can undoubtedly prevent you from paying expensive renewal fees each year. In addition, these renewal fees might increase over time, and what will happen if you miss a payment in the future? These are some elements to consider with your registrar when buying or renting a domain.

Lastly, something to keep in mind is the gas fees which are common in the NFT and blockchain world since they have to be paid for each transaction. You will need to pay gas fees when purchasing a domain name and any other potential transactions.

Your Domain Should be Easy to Remember

Before purchasing your domain name, you should always make sure that it’s easy to remember. Whatever your domain name is, one that is easy to read and remember will go a long way in terms of reputation.

Also, when using your NFT domain as your crypto address, you’ll want people to recognize you immediately rather than mistaking you for someone else.

To give you an idea, you definitely don’t want to choose a domain name with several same letters, such as “llll.wallet”. This is easy when copying and pasting, but it gets very complicated when typing it manually.

A Shorter Domain Name is Better

Choosing a short one will make your life easier when you run a business or use your NFT for private purposes. Of course, as mentioned above, keeping it easy to remember is great. But keeping it short rather than long is a massive bonus.

Consider Your Registrar’s Customer Support

Something else to consider is the customer service offered by your registrar. For instance, at Cloudname, we always make sure to reply promptly so that our customers feel confident in us and trust our services.

While you don’t always need a 24/7 service, it will undoubtedly come in handy if you have any issues in the future.

Apart from that, checking the reviews of the registrar, you’re planning to use is essential. You can also try contacting their customer service before purchasing or renting your NFT domain to get an idea of the treatment you’ll receive.

Check the Crypto Wallet Compatibility

One of the reasons users buy an NFT domain is to replace their crypto wallet address. Because of this, you will want to check the compatibility with your cryptocurrency platforms like Coinbase or MetaMask. You might not make use of this for the moment, but it will be very nice to have if you decide, one day, to replace your crypto address.

After all, if you purchase an NFT domain, it makes sense to use all of its functionalities.

Consider Different Domain Extensions

While .com is the world’s most used domain extension, it doesn’t mean that other extensions are not appropriate for business or private purposes.

In the NFT world, the extensions are much different from regular ones, and they include:

  • .x
  • .coin
  • .wallet
  • .bitcoin
  • .zil
  • .nft
  • .dao
  • .888

As you can see, these are much different from standard domain extensions like .net or .info, but they will get much more common in the future.

It’s worth noting that the price of these extensions vary, and you’ll want to compare the price of each before proceeding to pay.

The Compatibility of Browsers

While most browsers do not natively support NFT domains and websites, alternative solutions are coming to the market. The 2 browsers that natively display NFT domains are Brave and Opera.

However, other mainstream browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and mobile devices are releasing extensions and plugins to support these new domains.

To sum up, while there are indeed plugins to display your future website, this is one of the elements to consider before paying.

5 Reasons to Transfer a Domain

5 Reasons to Transfer a Domain

Transferring a domain is a prevalent practice that can happen for several reasons. These are very different motives, from gifting a domain to reselling it and making a profit.

Migrating or transferring a regular domain can take up to a month, but NFT domains can be transferred to another investor in seconds. This guide will go through the reasons to transfer an NFT domain, what transferring does to it, what domain migration entails, and much more.

What Does Transferring a Domain Do?

For standard centralized systems, transferring a domain is the process of changing the registrar. The database, domain information, and website remain the same. This process is quite complicated, and business owners often need to request help from the registrar to avoid making any mistakes.

On the other hand, when it comes to NFT domains, the only element that changes during a transfer is the owner and the smart contract. This is only one of the many reasons why NFT domains are more convenient than regular ones.

Are NFT Domains Safe?

This is the million-dollar question. NFT domains have been on the market for a while but have been booming only recently, given the fact that NFT domains are hosted on the blockchain on Ethereum and are, therefore, very safe.

Apart from that, since they’re hosted on the blockchain and not centralized, they will not be censored as opposed to regular domains.

Are Blockchain Domains a Good Investment?

If you already have a website or are thinking about purchasing a domain, then NFT domains are the best investment. They’re safe, you have complete control over it, you’re the only owner, and you have no renewal fees, unlike standard domains.

Apart from that, blockchain domains sell out fast, and you should make sure to buy yours before someone else does – once it’s gone, it won’t be back on the market unless the owner resells it.

5 Reasons to Transfer a Blockchain Domain

As highlighted previously, there are several reasons for which you’ll want to transfer a domain – from the most basic to the more complicated motives. Let’s dive into the most common ones.

Transferring it as a Gift to Other Investors or Friends

NFT domains are the future of the internet, but not everyone is aware of their potential. In fact, while millions of blockchain domains were sold on the market, they’re only a very small fraction of the internet as we know it today.

But Web3 is here and will be staying, and the technology behind it will only improve with years passing by. Transferring a domain as a gift to friends, family, or other investors will be very useful to them in the future.

As a reminder, transferring an NFT domain only takes a few seconds!

Reselling domains

Everyone can change his mind, and NFT domains aren’t an exception. If you bought a domain and didn’t make any use of it, then chances are, you will want to resell it. Once you purchase a domain, it’s yours for good, and you can do what you want with it, including reselling it.

The major NFT and blockchain domain reselling platforms are Cloudname, OpenSea, Rarible, and Binance. But if you’re not really into these secondary markets, you can organize a private sale. We will talk more about this in the following paragraphs.

Selling Privately to Investors

We just discussed the second-hand online markets reselling NFTs, domains, and more. But, if they aren’t really offering what you need, then organizing a private sale is definitely an option.

If you happen to have bought a popular domain and someone wants to buy it from you, then you’re free to do so.

NFT domains are hosted on the blockchain and owned through smart contracts, which allows the owner to resell them without an intermediary party. Also, since they’re connected to a crypto wallet, you’ll be able to receive crypto in seconds and immediately transfer the NFT domain to their wallet.

Transferring Your Domain for Business Reasons

Business is another reason why users may want to transfer their domain. For instance, if the business domain were registered by one employee under their private account or email, that company would request the transfer back to their department.

Or, if you happen to have bought one domain and a corporation wants to buy it from you, then this is considered a business reason, and they could be paying you significant sums of money for that NFT domain.

Privacy Reasons

While privacy is mainly an issue for regular domains, it may be a problem for blockchain domains. However, as mentioned previously, NFT domains are very safe, and we highly recommend investing in one today.

Back to privacy concerns for a moment. Some information may always leak on the internet, and Web3 isn’t exempt from these privacy issues. In case the domain’s owner doesn’t want to reveal his identity or personal information, but sadly that domain is leaked for one reason or another, then that domain could be transferred.

At Cloudname, we are equipped with a world-class security system to protect all domains and information leaks. That being said, once the domain is sold, we have no control over it anymore, and the owner will be fully responsible.

Conclusion

These were all the possible reasons why investors transfer an NFT domain. These are all different motives, from offering it as a gift to friends or family to reselling it or even for business reasons.

How does it work?

On 28/01/2023 a whitelist of eligible wallets will be published (any wallet holding $CNAME since before 27/01/2023 – NOTE: the tokens needs to be in a WALLET and not for example in an exchange)

Whitelisted users will be able to Redeem $CNAME directly on the Cloudname website.
The application page will allow users to connect their wallet and choose how many $CNAME to redeem.

Once the $CNAME are sent, users will immediately receive an email with a Freename promo code. Every promo code will be $100 max, and is not cumulative  (e.g. if you redeem $1,000 in $CNAME, you will receive 10x $100 promo-codes)

Happy Web3 TLDs and Domains Shopping!