Solana Name Service

Solana Name Service by Bonfida is similar to it’s Ethereum counterpart with some key differences including gamification

Hi, folks. Sherpa here again, to talk to you about Solana Name Service, from Bonfida. I figured that since we covered the Ethereum Name Service & how to buy & use your first domain there, it wouldn’t hurt to be thorough & see what an up & coming chain’s Name Service might compare.

I’m not going to spend any time on telling you what a name service is, as you can just refer back to the previous article for a quick refresher. Instead, let’s dive right in… So…what’s different?

Well, the first difference is that this is running on the Solana blockchain. Another key difference is that Bonfida has went with a slightly more “gamified” approach, and this is worth taking a closer look at.

With an ENS, you’re registering the domain for a set number of years, but as with a traditional domain – it will eventually expire if you don’t keep renewing it. With SNS domains, the domain itself is much closer to a traditional NFT – there is no expiration, and they have an attached market for buying & selling domains.

They also have a “leaderboard”, and the quick ability to connect your Solname to your Twitter account & identity, for easier payments & tips.

I honestly love this approach, and while the functionality of the ENS platform is decent – I absolutely feel like Bonfida’s offering on Solana looks much more refined & aesthetically-pleasing, and is vastly superior in terms of the secondary market.

As it is, when someone searches for a new domain – if they are informed that it is taken, they can quickly check Bonfida’s secondary market & try to buy the domain there. Whereas on ENS, most domains end up on OpenSea & can get lost in the shuffle – here they are seen by folks already looking to buy domains, specifically, and domain auctions for the secondary market are frequently highlighted on the main page. As icing on the cake, transactions are done in Solana’s wrapped USDC, with “gas” on Solana being significantly cheaper than on Ethereum.

There’s a quick video, here, walking you through connecting your wallet & making your first purchase. If you are a relative newcomer to Solana, it might behoove you to watch this – but overall if you’re used to web3 interactions on Ethereum, it really isn’t much different.

Overall, I am very excited to start purchasing Solana domains, personally. I have a bit of a domain addiction (seriously, want some?), and Bonfida has an entire suite of dapps & Solana utility offerings, aside from the name service.

What do you look for in a domain name? Hit me up on Twitter with your answer – personally, I love a domain that makes me laugh, or uses the extension at the end as part of the world. I wonder if para.sol is taken?