Overview of DNS to ENS
Traditional DNS domains do not work natively within the blockchain, however it is possible to “supercharge” a DNS domain name using the Ethereum Name Service(ENS) protocol as a bridge.
In this article and others on this site we’ll cover some basics of the Ethereum blockchain, smart contracts, current use cases of DNS within the blockchain, and how traditional domain name owners utilize this functionality today.
If you would like to get started with DNS to ENS integration, you may skip to this set of guides: DNS to ENS Guides
DNS Compatibility with Blockchain
Traditional DNS domain names (e.g. .com, .org, .xyz etc…) are not natively be compatible with the blockchain. This is because the blockchain is built upon decentralized architecture whereas DNS relies upon centralized services and data storage.
Enabling forward-compatibility of domain names to the blockchain has many fascinating and practical use cases. The ENS protocol has been developing its own infrastructure that ensures legacy DNS domain names will forward with today’s modern blockchain using the Ethereum ecosystem.
DNS domain owners can have the added benefit of blockchain functionality, without sacrificing how their domain names currently function on the Internet.
To learn about current DNS to ENS use cases, see: DNS + ENS Use Case Examples