“On-chain” domain registrar files patent.

Blockchain-based domain name registration company 3DNS has filed a patent application for Blockchain-Based Domain Name Registrar and Management System (pdf).

The company summarizes the invention as:

Introduced here are techniques/technologies that allow a blockchain-based domain name registrar and management system to convert domain names and their corresponding DNS records into on-chain assets that are stored and managed directly on a blockchain. The blockchain-based registrar system uses smart contracts, on the Ethereum network, to support the features and functions required by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to be an accredited domain registrar. More specifically, the blockchain-based registrar system supports full feature parity with traditional web2 registrars, allowing for new domain names to be registered and existing domain names to be transferred and renewed.

One of the claims makes this a bit easier to understand:

• performing an off-chain registration process for a domain name with an off-chain domain registrar, the off-chain registration process including verifying and reserving the domain name with the off-chain domain registrar accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN);
• responsive to the off-chain registration process, performing an on-chain registration process for the domain name with a domain registrar blockchain, wherein an on-chain asset for the domain name is stored at the domain registrar blockchain, and wherein the on-chain asset enables a controller relationship over the domain name;
• receiving a first request from a client device, the first request to access a webpage using the domain name; determining that a domain name associated with the webpage is stored in the domain registrar blockchain; generating a first blockchain query based on the first request, the first blockchain query for querying the domain registrar blockchain;
• sending the first blockchain query to the domain registrar blockchain, the domain registrar blockchain storing domain name registration data in smart contracts in the domain registrar blockchain;
• receiving a nameserver identifier from the domain registrar blockchain; retrieving a DNS record for the domain name associated with the webpage using the received nameserver identifier;
• and providing information from the retrieved DNS record to the client device for accessing the webpage.

3DNS founder Paul Gauvreau shared his vision for an on-chain domain name registrar in DNW Podcast #460.

The company filed a provisional patent application on September 21, 2022, and filed the full application in June 2023. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published it today.