Domains—the backbone of the internet—are evolving into core DeFi assets under DomainFi, unlocking on-chain utility. Anand Vora, Doma Protocol’s vice president of business development and partnerships, outlined this DomainFi vision in a Genzio Media interview on June 6, emphasizing the goal of making domains usable on-chain. Domains are recast as the internet’s original real-world assets that had long been confined to Web2, and Doma Protocol aims to bring them to life on the blockchain. By tokenizing high-value domains like Software.ai into ERC-20 tokens, the project seeks to democratize a market once controlled by a few, enabling fractional ownership and open trading.
DomainFi centers on connecting Web2 and Web3 through a robust infrastructure that supports fractional ownership and programmable use. Tokenizing high-value domains into ERC-20 tokens allows broader participation and secondary trading, challenging the concentration of wealth in a small number of holders. The effort frames DomainFi as a bridge between the two eras, a venture the team calls the 2.5 era.
On-chain domains unlock a suite of financial capabilities, including fractional ownership of valuable domains and using them as collateral for loans or for leasing to generate income. Smart contracts enable programmable ways to design new domain applications, while traditional DNS standards are preserved and blockchain transparency helps address high fees and slow settlements. After a successful mainnet launch in November 2025, Doma Protocol plans a year of education and awareness in 2026. The team is pursuing integrations, such as with the Base app, to bring tens of millions of domains on-chain for global users.
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