As the trend of hybrid coexistence in the domain space continues to evolve, we now see the first ICANN delegated Top Level Domain (TLD) launching in both the traditional Domain Name System (DNS) and on the Bitcoin blockchain (BTC).

Domain Name System (DNS) and Bitcoin Naming System (BNS): The Hybrid Coexistence of .locker

A bit of background: .locker was initially delegated to DISH DBS Corporation in 2016 and was then transferred to Orange Domains LLC in January of 2024. Orange Domains is an entity created by the joint venture of Trust Machines and Hiro Systems, a company working to build a decentralized economy on the Bitcoin blockchain by building applications to maximize the value of Bitcoin, to bridge Web3 with the traditional internet of Web2. The .locker solution offers end users a seamless connection between Web2 domains and the corresponding Web3 digital identities. Orange Domains is an ICANN-accredited registry for .locker and controls the Web3 version of .locker on the Bitcoin Naming System (BNS) namespace.

You may be asking, “How does this work?” When a user registers a .locker domain through the traditional DNS the registry will send an email to the corresponding registrant email address to register/mint the exact matching Web3 digital identity of .locker. The user will then be guided to a digital hot wallet enabled by the Bitcoin network, or if the user has their own existing Bitcoin network enabled hot wallet they can provide the wallet address. From there, the user registers/mints the corresponding Web3 digital identity and the BNS registrar smart contract will mint the name to the user’s wallet address, the final step that enables the user to utilize their Web3 digital identity on the Bitcoin blockchain.

What the user gets out of this is a human readable Web3 digital identity exactly matching the traditional DNS name that was registered, for example, “domainshane.locker” in Web2 would be minted to the Bitcoin blockchain as “domainshane.locker” and usable in Web3, whether that be for payment collection, wallet address shorteners, or, if the user has the capability or strategy, for a live website.

Interoperability of Web2 and Web3 Domains: A New Idea?

Bridging Web2 domain names and Web3 digital identifiers is not a new concept in the evolving domain landscape, with the introduction of Web3 digital identifiers occurring in 2017; however, this is the first instance occurring on the Bitcoin blockchain. There are resolvers that exist to resolve Web3 and Web2 addresses and vice versa, and linking domain names allows users to reach various audiences for the content on their site.

We’ll use another example and look at it purely from a Web3 perspective. Cold wallets are used to store cryptocurrency, Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), and other records for Web3. An organization that creates NFTs or distributes cryptocurrency as a method of transaction could utilize a .locker domain in the Web3 space to reach its target audience. Again, this concept of connection is not new, however it does seem like we’re just at the beginning of connected Web2 and Web3 domains in the industry.

Web3 and the Next Round of New gTLDs

We’re seeing more and more announcements and projects being created regarding the next round of New gTLD applications and a connection to Web3. Interoperability hinges on the next round of New gTLD applications. To create an environment that end users can interact in without any confusion or conflicting namespaces requires the registry operator to operate both the Web2 and Web3 versions of the TLD. Having interoperability and connected infrastructures tied to the next round of New gTLDs could pose a problem for the continued adoption of Web2 and Web3 unification. Ultimately, success requires the registry operator to own the Web2 DNS version of the TLD and then mint the Digital Identifier version of the TLD to the blockchain. But the Next Round of New gTLD applications is just that — an application process, and the final decision to allocate New gTLDs is dependent on ICANN.

What’s the Future of DNS and BNS Hybrid Coexistence?

To read more about .locker keep an eye on this space for our upcoming Web3 Report, where I interview the companies involved with .locker to find out more insight into .locker and the link between the DNS and BNS.