What are NFTs Staff
May 9, 2022Twitter Followers: 253K
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Could you give us a quick rundown of the project?
Your Name + Role: Josh Gordon, Podcast Host
Project Name: Unstoppable Domains
Project Summary: Unstoppable Domains is bringing user-controlled identity to the Internet by creating NFT domains that put you back in control of your data. Your Unstoppable domain is your cryptocurrency address, your login to the decentralized web, and your universal name.
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What originally brought you into the NFT space?
These days, NFTs are relatively mainstream but back in 2017 Web3 domains weren’t purchasable with $USD — and they weren’t even NFTs yet.
This is where the founding members of UD saw opportunity.
Our initial idea was simple — make buying and owning Ethereum domains easier so more people would use them.
Using this vision as a guide, Braden Pezeshkli, Ryan Le, Max, Tim, and I (Matt Gould) launched “BuyEthDomains.com.”
People are always surprised to learn that the company which would eventually evolve into Unstoppable Domains started by selling .eth domains.
BuyEthDomains was the first company to simplify domain ownership by enabling cash payments on the original .eth smart contract.
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What month and year did you get involved in NFTs?
December 2017.
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How did you come up with the idea for your NFT project?
The team saw potential in Web3 domains that others hadn’t yet: tokenizing them into NFTs to create a new form of digital identification that people could finally own, build on top of, and keep private.
This idea is paramount to realizing the promises of the decentralized web, because if you don’t own something, how can you expect to control it? To monetize it? To Innovate on it?
When you buy an Unstoppable Domain, it’s yours for life. It’s minted directly into your crypto wallet and no one can take it from you or tamper with it, not even us.
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What makes your NFT project unique?
We’ve evolved from a company that “sells Web3 domains” into a digital identity solutions company and the #1 provider of NFT domain names, selling over 2.3 million to date.
What makes UD unique are the same things that catalyzed our growth: our perspective.
The way we see it, we’re all born with two names: The one we’re given and the one we make for ourselves.
We keep innovating because we think of an NFT domain as your real name in the digital world. It represents your identity and reputation across the metaverse and is key to unlocking access to better community experiences and rewards.
So for us, breaking down barriers to lifetime domain ownership isn’t a marketing strategy or competitive niche, it’s the belief that drives every decision we make.
And it always will be.
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How big is the team and what are their roles?
Since launching in 2018 As a company people and an idea, we’ve grown into a cutting-edge global startup with over 150 team members.
We have roles across many departments including business development, community, engineering, marketing, operations, people, and product.
We’re always on the lookout for talent, so anyone who’s interested can check out our open roles at unstoppabledomains.com/careers.
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Where do you see NFTs in the next 3-5 years?
NFTs have evolved in waves. Collectibles, art, generative art, profile pictures, play to earn, music, membership passes.
In the next 3 to 5 years we’re going to continue to see Web3 adoption innovation across all industries.
As NFTs mature, we’ll see more focus on utility versus just art and gaming NFTs.
NFT domain names are an example of the utility that will continue to be adopted.
Here at UD, we’re working on building out the identity layer of the internet, where people can own their name and data as they navigate the web.
This will become more and more useful as we build out an expansive partner network of integrations so people can control their identity and data across different applications, creating better experiences.
You can learn more about our vision for web3 identity here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unstoppable-podcast/id1538672251?i=1000550585173.
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Where do you think this space needs to grow to take it to the next level?
Education is the precursor for adoption.
But there’s no 30-second elevator pitch for how crypto or NFTs work or why they’re important and beneficial.
We emphasize educational content creation to fill this gap because by providing education and access to the builders, investors, and creators in Web3 we can help people understand the tech and where it’s going.
If you haven’t yet, check out The Unstoppable Podcast, our YouTube channel, and snackable short-form videos on TikTok, if that’s more your speed.
They all aim to make understanding all things Web3 easy for everyone.
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What would you tell a newbie before beginning to invest in the NFT market? What should they look for?
Not to be a broken record, but my advice to newbies would be to spend time learning before buying.
In addition to our podcast and social channels, I highly recommend the Tim Ferris episode with Naval and Chris Dixon.
Once you have a better grasp on NFTs and Web3, spend some time understanding the blue-chip projects in the space, what makes them unique, and what kind of value they provide to the community.
Oh, and while you’re at it, get an NFT domain name to make sending and receiving crypto easier by replacing those long, wildly confusing wallet addresses with a name people can actually read.
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Are there any projects you admire that you think we should reach out to next?
We have a large partner network of fantastic builders and innovators. We would highly suggest getting in touch with any of the projects, dApps, and wallets that are integrating with Unstoppable Domains and creating better, safer, and more fair experiences online.
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Where can people follow along on your NFT journey?
Sure thing! Anyone can follow our journey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/unstoppableweb and on The Unstoppable Podcast, where we share educational content and interview NFT creators, entrepreneurs, and investors every week: https://podcast.unstoppabledomains.com/.
