The battle between a Web2 giant and a Web3 upstart just ended (and Web3 won!)

We know what you're thinking - 'why don't you cover more domain-name-related-scandals?'

Say. No. More.

​Eth.link is a domain name that's been through the ringer:

First off, it was purchased by Virgil Griffith...

(You know, the guy sentenced to 5 years in prison after being charged of conspiring to help North Koreans evade U.S. sanctions via cryptocurrency).

Then, the parent company for the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) - True Names Ltd. - gained control of it.

Until GoDaddy (the world’s largest domain registrar) transferred the domain to Dynadot who auctioned it off for ~$852k to Manifold Finance.

Confused? We told you the domain’s been through the ringer!

And now, ENS has regained control of the eth.link domain name after winning its lawsuit which ruled that GoDaddy’s transfer to Dynadot was a breach of contract.

Here’s how eth.link works:

ENS uses the eth.link domain to connect “.eth” names to the Domain Name System (also known as the DNS) allowing web browsers to connect to websites.

The EthLink service lets users create viewable websites with their ENS names and makes them accessible from a standard browser.

Losing eth.link put a HUGE hole in ENS' business model (because who wants a domain that can't be accessed via a browser??)

While all's well that ends well, the transfer and sale of the domain name was massively disruptive for ENS.

Heck, they literally had to go to court to get it back.

Alright, so what's the takeaway? Is there a lesson here, or is this just some juicy domain-related-gossip?

¿Por qué no los dos? (See gif for translation). This story highlights one of the main benefits a fully decentralized web would provide.

A decentralized version of GoDaddy wouldn’t have been able to get their dirty mitts on the domain and sell it.

Who said learning couldn't be fun?