Deploying sites on IPFS allows creators to take advantage of a powerful peer-to-peer file system and, in so doing, embrace distributed technology.
Yet more can still be done to fully decentralize an app. What is missing is… an ENS domain!
What is ENS? Why do you need it? How can Fleek make your life 10x easier handling ENS domains?
Let’s find out!
The Web3 Motto: Decentralize Everything!
A fundamental aspect of Web3 technologies is their dedication in not relying on centralized and faillible entities to serve users. Due to their innate robustness, decentralized alternatives are preferable to centralized ones in almost all cases, thus the popular motto: Decentralize Everything!
ENS, short for Ethereum Name Service, stands at the forefront of the decentralization movement and is meant to be an alternative to traditional naming systems. ENS domains end with .eth, as opposed to traditional domains who end with .com, .org, .io, etc…
The trusted Ethereum blockchain ensures its decentralization, so there’s no worries on that front.
That’s why Vitalik Buterin, the inventor of Ethereum, likes ENS so much.
ENS For FULL Decentralization!
While an app deployed on IPFS is decentralized as far as file distribution goes, it cannot be called fully decentralized without a human-readable method for sharing its content.
Sadly, traditional domains rely on centralized servers and monolithic institutions. As such, an app cannot be called fully decentralized if it depends on traditional domains to be shared with others.
ENS therefore unlocks total decentralization!
IPFS + ENS = <3
ENS domains can resolve to IPFS hashes.
We’ve deployed our Fleek insfrastructure on IPFS + ENS to demonstrate how it works. Simply go to fleekhq.eth to witness how an ENS domain resolves to IPFS. Make sure you are using a browser which resolves ENS domains to access the site. Alternatively, you can append .link to an ENS domain to access it, such as https://fleekhq.eth.link
IPFS and ENS go hand in hand perfectly!
The Big Problem With ENS… Solved With Fleek
Despite the benefits, there is one big issue with ENS.
Since the ENS domain points to an IPFS hash, the IPFS hash on ENS must be updated everytime there is an update to the site, since a new update results in a new IPFS hash. This drawback makes using ENS for modern web development flows very cumbersome.
If ONLY there was a way to automatically update the IPFS hash upon site update, a tool to make ENS integration 10x easier… wink wink
Fleek simplifies ENS domain integration by auto-publishing new IFPS hashes to ENS anytime it detects a change.
This is accomplished through setting Fleek as the controller of the ENS domain. The controller is responsible for day-to-day activities such as updating the IPFS hash. The user is the registrant which is the role that hash ultimate control of the domain. The registrant can change the controller at any time.
This makes integrating ENS a breeze and an essential tool for any Dapp developer. Once ENS is setup with Fleek, the developer can simply forget about it and focus on his app.
Your Turn!
Deploy your site on IPFS and set up your ENS domain on Fleek! We have clear directions in the Fleek ENS docs to guide you.
You will reap the benefits of a fully decentralized application through its file system AND its domain.
Now it’s your turn to Decentralize Everything!