The Future of Domains, Powered by D3 and DeFi

by
Victoria d’Este

Revealed: September 03, 2025 at 10:55 am Up to date: September 03, 2025 at 10:55 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
September 03, 2025 at 10:55 am

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Few individuals understand that complete firms exist with portfolios of tens of millions of domains, quietly buying and selling them like shares. On this interview, Inder Singh, VP of Product & Know-how at D3, reveals how DomainFi is ready to rework that hidden market by shifting domains on-chain, turning them into programmable belongings that mix the worlds of Web2 and Web3.

Might you share your journey to Web3?

I’m the VP of Product and Know-how at D3, and I used to be a part of the founding workforce when D3 began in 2023. I’ve been within the trade for over 20 years, and that is now my seventh startup. I’ve all the time been an enormous fan of startup tradition. Fred, our CEO at D3, and I really constructed one other firm collectively earlier than. When he began D3 in 2023, he requested me to affix him once more.

Most of my background has been in large knowledge programs. Fred and I ran an enormous knowledge advertising and promoting firm, and I’ve additionally accomplished loads of analysis in that space. About 4 years in the past, I began ATM.com, an organization centered on serving to individuals earn and reinvest their cash utilizing knowledge. That was my first step into fintech, which ultimately led me into crypto. Due to that journey, I discovered myself right here at D3.

What’s the working definition of DomainFi? Цhich ache factors in as we speak’s DNS and ENS ecosystems does it clear up?

Domains are fairly sophisticated, and so they’re not restricted to 1 use. We use them for web sites, portfolios, buying, and extra. ENS has been nice as a utility for addressing Web3 programs, nevertheless it doesn’t totally bridge into current web sites or dot-com decision. Rivals have additionally been pretty restricted in scope.

With DomainFi, our imaginative and prescient is greater. It’s not nearly making a Web3 model of a site, however about bringing the worth of domains on-chain as programmable belongings. For instance, everybody is aware of that chat.com is effective, even when we are able to’t agree on the precise worth. There’s a large world economic system round shopping for and promoting names, and Web3 is the perfect software to unlock monetary worth from programs. DomainFi goals to convey domains on-chain in a means that integrates seamlessly with DeFi protocols.

Who do you see as the first early adopters of DomainFi: merchants, Web3 natives, manufacturers, or registries?

I believe there are two foremost teams. The primary are current area buyers, individuals already shopping for and promoting names. For them, DomainFi provides higher worth, extra merchandise, and extra innovation. Proper now, platforms like AfterNic cost charges as much as 25%, and the method is proscribed. With DomainFi, buyers can entry lending, leasing, and different options way more simply.

The second group is individuals who simply need publicity to RWAs. They could not care particularly about domains, however they need a reliable asset class. For instance, somebody won’t spend $30 million on chat.com, however they may simply make investments $5,000 in a portfolio of AI-related names as a result of they know AI is heating up. These are the early adopters we anticipate.

Are domains natively on-chain belongings, wrapped representations of DNS names, or each? How do you keep away from fragmentation between wrappers?

Our protocol doesn’t challenge domains instantly; you all the time get a site from a registrar. So after we create on-chain representations, they’re issued by registrars.

I don’t see Web2 and Web3 domains as separate issues. If you happen to switch your area on-chain, it strikes in each worlds. For instance, whenever you go to D3.com, it’s nonetheless the identical area, no matter whether or not it has an on-chain token. Very similar to checking your financial institution stability from completely different apps, the underlying asset is similar. Registrars already management issuance, so tokenization is just one other layer below their management.

If DomainFi succeeds, what does end result appear to be for customers, registries, or open web requirements?

For customers, success means simpler entry to domains reminiscent of RWAs and the innovation that can come from placing them on-chain. For registries and registrars, it opens a complete new wave of merchandise. Proper now, registrars primarily promote web sites and e-mail, however with Web3, they’ll have the ability to supply way more, driving area gross sales and utility.

For web requirements, DNS is already decentralized. Our hope is to make it extra programmable, with higher registry integrations and on-chain representations. That advantages the entire ecosystem.

How do you think about individuals utilizing domains past merely holding them?

The primary large use case can be on-chain portfolios of names. There are firms as we speak that personal tens of millions of domains and flip them for revenue. Transferring that exercise on-chain makes it simpler and extra liquid.

Then we’ll see extra DeFi merchandise emerge, fractionalization, lending, leasing, and collateralization. Think about with the ability to fractionalize a premium identify like chat.com and use it for liquidity, like taking a mortgage in opposition to a million-dollar home. Over time, the whole lot we see in DeFi: yield swimming pools, RWA-backed loans, collateralization, can be out there to area holders.

Do you see domains connecting with messaging, funds, or decentralized identification?

Completely. Domains may be mapped to pockets addresses, messaging IDs, and extra. For instance, messaging protocols like XMTP require exchanging keys, which isn’t user-friendly. However domains are memorable. With ENS and DNSSEC, and ultimately Doma names, you possibly can map pockets addresses, XMTP handles, and public keys on to a site.

That blurs the road between Web2 and Web3. Domains might unify internet decision, identification, and communication in a single place.

What measures are in place to forestall misuse or theft of useful names?

That’s the power of the present system. Nobody worries about Amazon.com being stolen, as a result of DNS already has robust protections like UDRP, registry locks, and registrar locks. Domains are decentralized sufficient to keep away from misuse whereas nonetheless regulated sufficient to make sure stability. We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re extending Web2’s trusted protections into Web3.

How do you ensure domains stay accessible and never simply managed by speculators?

Web3 ranges the taking part in area. Any token, NFT, or area on-chain is accessible to everybody. Proper now, speculators dominate, however the course of of shopping for domains is damaged, with negotiations, brokers, and weeks of back-and-forth. By making speculative names extra accessible, we simplify the method for normal customers. Hypothesis gained’t disappear, however entry can be a lot simpler.

What’s your view on possession disputes, logos, and conflicts over names?

Trademark disputes are already dealt with by well-established processes that registries and registrars observe. For instance, Amazon.com doesn’t fear about squatters as a result of the system acknowledges its trademark rights. Disputes undergo due course of, with checks and balances in place.

Since tokens are issued by registrars, those self same guidelines apply on-chain. It could battle with the concept of totally permissionless programs, however domains, like homes or vehicles, are topic to the legal guidelines of the nation the place they’re registered.

Which integrations or partnerships are most vital for fulfillment?

Proper now, our foremost focus is on constructing the protocol accurately. The fantastic thing about DeFi is that after you have a legitimate token, it really works in all places: Aave, Morpho, liquidity swimming pools, worth feeds, and extra.

For us, the secret’s utility and belief. If you happen to see a token backed by Hockey.com, you must really feel assured that it’s authentic. As soon as that belief is in place, partnerships with DeFi platforms will observe naturally.

How would you measure success for DomainFi, D3, and the Doma Protocol within the subsequent 12 to 24 months?

Two issues stand out. First, we would like not less than half of the highest 10 registrars worldwide providing tokenization by Doma. Meaning tens of millions, if not billions, of customers getting onboarded to Web3 each time they purchase a site.

Second, we would like on a regular basis individuals to spend money on domains with no need to know the trade. Identical to placing cash into an ETF, they need to have the ability to spend money on area portfolios and profit from appreciation. That may imply we’ve unlocked area worth for each superior merchants and common customers.

About The Writer

Victoria is a author on a wide range of know-how matters together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her intensive expertise permits her to put in writing insightful articles for the broader viewers.

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Victoria d’Este