DNS on Blockchain Technology: The Next Evolution of Domain Names? – Socheata Sokhachan

NetMission Ambassador Blog Posts

As our reliance on the Internet grows, more technologies are introduced to help improve our lives and solve certain problems. As it continues to evolve, we also need to become more aware of its nature, potential impacts, and the governance that controls that technology. As we speak, technologies like blockchain continue to evolve, with their decentralized systems becoming increasingly important. Let’s take a hypothetical look at Web3 Domains/NFT Domains/Blockchain Domains/Crypto-domains or domain name systems (DNS) running on blockchain technology.

Before diving into the concept of Web3 Domains or domain name systems running on blockchain technology, it’s essential to understand some basics about how the current DNS works. Every time you browse the Internet, your computer performs a lookup process. Your computer can’t understand the familiar names we use; it first asks for the IP address of the website. Each website or device that connects to the Internet has its own IP address, or Internet protocol, which is complex to understand since it consists of many random numbers and letters that only computer programming understands. That’s why DNS exists to help us connect to the Internet more easily. Instead of using the IP address, we can just type the familiar name into the browser.

Nowadays, most of the domain names we browse are guaranteed to be unique because they are assigned a specific, unique address overseen by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This is the nature of domain registries.

Blockchain-based DNS building

The idea of blockchain-based DNS is that instead of being held by one organization, all domain name information would be distributed across computers in a shared network using blockchain technology. With blockchain, every computer that is part of the network would have the same information, and if there is ever a change to the information, that change would need to be verified by every computer on the network.

This distributed network stores domain name records on a public blockchain ledger. Each block is cryptographically linked to the previous one, forming an immutable chain. Modifying existing records is impossible without breaking the chain. When you look up a website using Blockchain-Based Naming Systems, it checks a shared, unchangeable database, ensuring website addresses cannot be faked and remain secure from hackers. It aims to enhance security by ensuring domain name information cannot be easily altered without detection, protecting against cyber threats like domain hijacking. When a domain name is registered or transferred, the transaction is recorded as a new block in a distributed ledger, containing details such as the domain name, owner, and timestamps.

In the current DNS infrastructure, domain owners rely primarily on SSL certificates and centralized certificate authorities to verify site identities. With blockchain systems being inherently tamper-proof, any blockchain-based DNS already has this authentic attribute – a domain name based on blockchain technology would be more anonymous. For instance, Bitcoin transactions are already anonymous, and so all transactions on a blockchain-registered domain would be as well. This would be better for user personal security — they wouldn’t have to put their personal information out on the Internet for an identity thief, as current domain names are susceptible to various threats, including theft, hijacking, and unauthorized access. Cybercriminals always find new ways to attack and threaten the security and trust of domain management. Compared to domain names on blockchain technology, its decentralized nature ensures that bad actors cannot easily alter domain name information without detection.

Understanding Its Impact on Internet Governance

The Internet’s success and its stability hinge on the collaborative efforts of countless individuals and institutions worldwide, all working towards a shared goal. Stakeholders work within a common framework for the greater public good and foster a policy environment conducive to technical and entrepreneurial innovation, driving progress in economic, social, and educational realms. A prevailing consensus and established norms drive the use of a single-name system for coherence and consistency, which is currently defined by the DNS.

The introduction of blockchain-based DNS systems could potentially introduce conflicts and fragmentation, as they may not align with the DNS’s established name resolution path. This new naming system may assign the same name to different resources. This can result in the same name resolving to different paths, leading to end-user confusion as their private database of domain name systems, numbers, and identifiers could become public.

The risk of naming system fragmentation could have serious consequences, potentially breaking the global network into disparate, non-interoperable segments. The existence of these new naming systems without a cohesive governance model could potentially disrupt the functioning of a stable and unified Internet. Multiple blockchain-based naming systems are competing without a coordination mechanism, leading to further name collisions and unpredictable outcomes. This lack of coordination is seen by some as an opportunity to choose from different systems, but it comes at the cost of creating separate ecosystems for each system. The ICANN Name Collision Analysis Project defines a name collision as a situation where the same name exists in different namespaces, leading to potential confusion and unexpected behavior. Name collisions are unavoidable. Impacts from name collisions include end-user confusion, deployment difficulty, technical complexity, user adoption, and Internet fragmentation.

Not as secure as it seems

This innovation aims to enhance web security for users, but is it really safe? The explanation above about the nature of blockchain technology by distributing domain name information across a network of computers makes it nearly impossible for unauthorized changes to go unnoticed. However, there’s still a part of how this technology works that many people are unaware of digital assets can still be stolen by hijacking where you store the private key. Once it is done, it cannot be reversed. Furthermore, there is a view on Web3 that it is good for phishing. Threat actors are regularly abusing several similar Web3 platforms. Each platform has essential characteristics that make them useful for phishing, such as links to cryptocurrency for payment, the ease with which threat actors can hide their identity, the inability to reverse stolen money, and IPFS hosting being hard to take down – possibly even permanent. See Web3 phishing example: A fax-themed email linking to a fraudulent page hosted on the Microsoft Customer Voice service.

Will Blockchain-Based DNS Be the Next Evolution of Domain Names?

As a tech student who also advocates for a stable, secure, and unified global interoperable Internet. I believe that while blockchain offers exciting possibilities, it requires careful consideration and coordination to integrate seamlessly with the existing Internet infrastructure. The challenges of fragmentation, name collisions, and cybersecurity risks must be carefully addressed. I am neutral on whether I support this DNS evolution on the blockchain or not.

However, it is too early to definitively answer whether blockchain-based DNS will be the next evolution of domain names. Whether it becomes the next evolution depends on how effectively the blockchain community and the DNS community work together and how well they address the issues involved. I am looking forward to seeing more collaboration between these communities to develop criteria for the responsible integration of DNS domain names into blockchain applications, promoting alignment with the DNS while addressing concerns related to existing and future blockchain naming connections.

Written by Socheata Sokhachan

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