Who Owns Your Web3 Domain

ENS and Unstoppable rules that decide control

Image Credit: Author via Canva

A .eth or .crypto name looks like property. It sits in a wallet, routes payments, and trades like a token. Control comes from the registry contract, the resolver, and any admin or upgrade roles that can change records or ownership. Provider terms add another layer. Together, code and policy decide who can update, pause, transfer, or reclaim a name.

ENS and Unstoppable follow different paths. ENS uses time based registrations and community governance. Unstoppable sells one time purchases with no renewals and uses platform rules for disputes and support actions. In both cases, authority flows from contract design and published terms, not from the wallet alone.

Names now anchor wallets, app permissions, and access to tokenized assets such as money market funds and treasuries. If a name can be altered without consent, funds can misroute and identity links can break. The aim here is clarity and practical steps that help keep control where it belongs.

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Where control lives

Registry and resolver

• The registry records the owner of the name

• The resolver maps the name to addresses and records

• Admin or upgrade roles on these contracts decide who can change data

• Provider terms define when policy actions can occur

  
  

ENS in short

• Commit reveal flow reduces frontruns at registration

• Renewals are time based and names can expire

• Name Wrapper can burn fuses to restrict actions

• Root control uses a community multisig and .eth registrar control is locked

  
  

Unstoppable in short

• One time purchase with no renewals for onchain domains

• Control comes from the NFT and the platform’s contract design

• Dispute and compliance handling follow platform policy

Renewals and expiry

ENS renewals

Miss a renewal and the name enters a grace window. After that window it can be claimed by someone else. Linked records can stop resolving during this period.

No renewal models

For providers that use one time purchases, control depends on the NFT contract and any roles that can alter records. Review both the contract and the terms before buying.

What expiry changes

• Records may stop resolving

• Subdomains tied to the parent can break

• Market listings and app links can fail until the name is active again

The Name Wrapper and fuses

What the wrapper adds

The ENS Name Wrapper can add restrictions called fuses. Burned fuses disable specific actions and improve stability for subdomains and marketplaces.

Useful fuses in plain terms

• Cannot unwrap stops moving a wrapped name back to the base token

• Cannot transfer locks transfers for the wrapped name

• Cannot set resolver fixes the resolver

• Parent cannot control prevents the parent from overriding a subname

Why it matters

Burn the right fuses and the parent cannot take back records or change settings. Skip them and the parent can still edit or reclaim.

Subdomains and parent control

Defaults

The parent owner can create and remove subdomains and reset records unless fuses remove that ability. Without fuses, a subdomain is only as safe as the parent.

Safer flows

• Wrap the parent name

• Issue subdomains through the wrapper

• Burn fuses that remove parent edits

• Publish a brief policy so users know the rules

What to check on a subdomain

• Is the parent wrapped

• Which fuses are burned

• Who controls the resolver

• Any offchain terms that grant extra powers

Upgradeable contracts and admin roles

Upgrade paths

Some registries and resolvers use proxy patterns that allow upgrades. Upgrades can fix bugs or add features and they also add change risk.

Roles and safeties

• Admin or owner can switch logic or parameters

• Multisig spreads authority across several signers

• Timelocks add a delay so users can react to changes

What to verify

• Is the contract upgradeable

• Who holds admin or multisig rights

• Are there timelocks or posted procedures for upgrades

Code and policy in practice

Providers follow smart contracts and published terms. Disputes, abuse reports, or court orders can trigger actions within those limits. ENS design reduces direct revocation on .eth, but expiry removes control if a renewal is missed. Unstoppable promotes one time purchases and uses policy and contract tools for disputes and support.

Common scenarios

• Missed renewal on ENS and the name is released after a grace window

• Trademark complaint at a provider that enforces policy and a name can be locked or reassigned if terms allow it

• Phishing or abuse and user interfaces may hide the name while contract actions follow the rules in place

• Contract upgrade with a posted delay and behavior changes after the delay if an admin or multisig approves it

Quick custody check

1. Find the registry and resolver contracts for the name

2. Check if those contracts are upgradeable

3. Identify who controls admin or multisig roles

4. Review renewal or one time purchase terms

5. For ENS, confirm any fuses on wrapped names and subdomains

6. Test resolution in more than one wallet or app

7. Save the contract addresses and terms with your records

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Myths that cost money

Myth  A token in a wallet proves absolute control

Fact  Contract roles and provider terms can limit actions

Myth  No renewals means zero risk

Fact  Platform policies and contract design still shape outcomes

Myth  Subdomains are independent from the parent

Fact  Parent control applies unless fuses remove it

Myth  A single successful send proves the name is safe

Fact  Names can resolve today and fail later after an expiry or contract change

Why this matters for tokenized assets

Tokenized money market funds and treasuries use wallet addresses and permissions to manage access and settlement. Names that point to these addresses act as identity anchors. If a name changes without consent, access can fail or funds can route to an unintended address. Stable control begins with clear roles on chain and transparent terms off chain.

Closing notes

Ownership of a Web3 domain is a function of code and policy. Read the contracts, check the roles, and save the terms. Use fuses where they help and set reminders for renewals where they apply. A few minutes of review now can prevent loss later.

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🎥 Watch the Video

For a quick video version of this post, watch my YouTube video: Who Really Owns Your Web3 Domain | ENS, Unstoppable, and the Fine Print

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