Making Web3 Usernames Easier Than Ever

Since its very beginnings, Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has been dedicated to offering Web3 users an alternative to memorizing complex strings of alphanumeric characters to access their crypto wallets - a convenient username or web3 domain name. As a result of this improvement, it's now simpler to identify Ethereum address holders. Despite the positive effects, the uptake of usernames still faces a major challenge – out of the over 200 million addresses, only 2.2 million have been registered with the .eth name. This means that the largest percentage has yet to be linked to an associated username, hindering the user experience of the Web3 space. Had usernames always consisted of multiple random digits and letters – much like 0x7a16ff8270133f063aab6c9977183d9e72835428 or 0x3A7937851d67Ee2f51C959663749093Dc87D9C9a – it is very unlikely that email would have succeeded. Nevertheless, the introduction of exciting new developments such as free usernames, cross-chain names, and chat functions, indicate that more and more people could be incorporating usernames into their wallets and messaging apps.

Despite all the advancements wallets have made with recognizing, accommodating, and integrating with Web3 names, users nowadays still have to expend resources, energy, and money before obtaining this type of username. With Metamask's pioneering integration with ENS names shortly after the service's 2017 launch, Trustwallet, Coinbase Wallet and other online banking and finance solutions have followed suit. These also feature their own implementations with ENS-competitors like Unstoppable Domains, Space ID, and Bonfida. Nevertheless, getting a Web3 username can demand a hefty price, with a registration fee for ENS names range from $5 onwards, and Unstoppable Domains requiring $20-40 - which won't require annual renewals. This stands in stark contrast to the way emails are provided for free by the likes of Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. But for this very reason, the majority of crypto users remain unable to afford to create a Web3 username.

Recently, wallet applications have seen a way to try and fix the issue with free domain names. To provide a concrete example, Coinbase wallet can offer users one .cb.id name every year free of cost. Additionally, Kresus wallet allows for a .kresus name with a maximum of 8 characters with no cost attached. Even though several popular wallets like Trustwallet and Metamask hasn't yet joined the boat, the start of this complimentary username implementation could, potentially, bring more users and, consecutively, a bigger adoption rate of Web3 names in the long run. Another massive advancement is seen in the linking of instant messaging services with Web3 usernames. Various platforms now let their users to their Web3 nicknames as usernames for the messaging functions. Blockscan Chat is one of such platforms which allows for the sending of messages to any Ethereum address or ENS username. People who use Blockscan chat will get a notification on the Etherscan block explorer when they receive a message. The app's creator says that the messages sent by Blockscan chat are end-to-encrypted, meaning that while everyone can observe that a user has received a message, only the sender and receiver can comprehend it. The benefit of having Web3 usernames is that users of Blockscan chat don't need them for the chat to be operational, it only makes it easier to find other people in the app.

Sending funds to and from crypto is now a much easier process thantraditional systems like Venmo and Apple Pay due to Web3 usernames. A perfect example is Grill.chat, powered by the Subsoial (SUB) network, where new users get asigned a random username, but can opt-in to use their Ethereum wallet. This switch to wallet names on the Web3 domain offers plenty of advantages, like the ability to converse with other crypto fans with their usernames - instead of needing to coordinate with Web2 structures. Furthermore, Web3 usernames have opened new horizons, allowing plural-chain names, letting users easily shift identities from one blockchain to another. Excitingly, this groundbreaking concept can possibly entice more people to use Web3 name systems - a win for the crypto scene!

With the advent of Web3, users now have a variety of names to choose from depending upon the protocol. From Polygon (MATIC) with Unstoppable Domains, to Solana (SOL) with Bonfida, Arbitrum One (ARB) and BNB Chain (BNB) with Space ID; the options are many. That said, this fragmentation brings forth its own set of issues, especially for wallets and block explorers; integration difficulties are exacerbated, leading to confusion quite often. Take the instance of someone hoping to register username 'newton.crypto' on the Polygon chain; assuming they find out it is already taken, they end up settling for 'einstein.bnb'; and this is where the problem arises, as it would be entirely unclear which of the two names are the actual ones without further insight into the situation. As a result, people can accidentally send crypto to the wrong address by keying in the wrong name. To address such woes, Web3 companies have been looking to provide a single identity for users across multiple chains -- one such idea is Redefined, wherein users need to input a single username that works across eight different chains -- that list includes Polygon, Optimism (OP), BNB Chain, Solana, Bitcoin (BTC), Fantom (FTM), Moonbeam (GLMR) and Near.

Entering an address or username of a compatible network into the Arbitrum smart contract through the "manage" tab of the Redefined app allows users to initiate a transaction without entering any additional address information or names. All we need is the receiver's Redefined username, which usually starts with a "@" sign and no other extensions. Examples? @newton or @einstein. That's it! It's that easy; no need for additional information to complete the transaction. Just the receiver's username and off you go. Transactions with other associated networks are much more complicated than using Redefined. Save yourself the hassle - utilize all the functions of the app with only one username!

Despite a large number of Web3 addresses yet not matched to a username, it is still a mystery as to when widespread adoption of Web3 usernames will happen. Although access to Web3 identities has been made more simple, processes like copying and pasting long strings of characters still remain a barrier. Prices charged by wallet applications to register names don't help either. Nevertheless, the door to broad acceptance of usernames may soon open up if we take the right steps.