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We don't technically need ICANN the whole DNS system anymore. Anyone could quickly build a public cryptographically secure blockchain-based DNS system where pe

We don't technically need ICANN the whole DNS system anymore. Anyone could quickly build a public cryptographically secure blockchain-based DNS system where people could optionally sync and query their own nodes (without even going over the wire). People could buy and own their domain names on-chain using cryptocurrency instead of repeatedly renting them from some centralized entity. You could easily build this today by creating a Chrome Extension with a custom URL/address bar which bypasses the main one and makes a call to blockchain nodes instead of a DNS resolver; it would convert a domain name into an IP address by looking up the blockchain. This system could scale without limit in terms of reads as you can just spin up more nodes. I mean it'd be so easy it's basically a weekend project if you use an existing blockchain as the base. Actually Ethereum already did something like this with .ETH domains but I don't think anyone built a Chrome Extension yet; or at least I haven't heard, though it's possible to enable in Brave browser via settings (kind of hidden away). Also, there is Unstoppable Domains.

acdha 1y ago
People have been doing that since roughly 2010, so the failures are important to learn why it’s not a weekend project. Adoption is critical for alternate roots, so the first question has to be how something gets enough users for anyone to feel it’s worth the trouble of using: the failure mode of DNS is that links break, email bounces, and tons of things which do server-side validation reject it, so this really limits usage. The other big problem is abuse. Names are long term investments, so there are the usual blockchain problems of treating security as an afterthought but you also have the problem that third-parties have a valid need to override the blockchain (e.g. someone registers Disney.bit and points it at a porn site or serves malware from GoogleChrome.eth). Solving that means that you’re back to trusting the entity which created the system or maybe a group of operators, so the primary appeal is going to be if you can make it cheaper than owning a traditional domain.

acdha 1y ago

People have been doing that since roughly 2010, so the failures are important to learn why it’s not a weekend project. Adoption is critical for alternate roots, so the first question has to be how something gets enough users for anyone to feel it’s worth the trouble of using: the failure mode of DNS is that links break, email bounces, and tons of things which do server-side validation reject it, so this really limits usage. The other big problem is abuse. Names are long term investments, so there are the usual blockchain problems of treating security as an afterthought but you also have the problem that third-parties have a valid need to override the blockchain (e.g. someone registers Disney.bit and points it at a porn site or serves malware from GoogleChrome.eth). Solving that means that you’re back to trusting the entity which created the system or maybe a group of operators, so the primary appeal is going to be if you can make it cheaper than owning a traditional domain.