Onchain vs Traditional DNS: The 5-Minute Explainer

Onchain vs Traditional DNS: The 5-Minute Explainer

When most people hear "blockchain domain," they think of cryptocurrency speculation and technical complexity. They are mostly wrong. Onchain domain ownership is a genuinely useful technology that solves a real problem — and it does not require any understanding of cryptocurrency to use.

HOW TRADITIONAL DNS WORKS.

The traditional domain name system is essentially a giant phone book maintained by a hierarchy of private companies. When you register a domain, you are paying a registrar to write your name in their part of the phone book. The registrar can revoke that entry. You have no permanent claim — only a renewable lease.

"Traditional DNS is a phone book that anyone with enough authority can edit. Onchain DNS is a record that no one can change once it's written."

WHAT YOU DON'T NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

You do not need to understand how a blockchain works to use an onchain domain. You go to the Queensland Foundation claim page. You choose your address. You pay once, from $5, by card. The technical machinery of the blockchain takes care of the rest — permanently.