ENS Subdomains have the potential to be a gamechanger
Truth is, no one knows the extent to which that statement is true. But what could be the ways they could be used?
Here’s a quick thought experiment on how a brand like @Gucci](https://twitter.com/gucci) could leverage them
Firstly, the TLDR on ENS Subdomains: The rollout of the NameWrapper contract will allow subdomains of .eth addresses to be tradeable just like NFTs. E.g. http://leo.email.eth would be a subdomain off of email.eth
Before we go into the game-changing use cases, a few things need to be understood about Subdomains:
-
The parameters around costs can be set by the owner of the root domain. This means the owner of email.eth could make subdomains off their domain free or come at a cost
-
These subdomains can be used as a wallet address too. Meaning that a door will be opened where new users could secure a .eth address that is free to secure and has $0 in yearly fees.
-
The owner of the root domain can choose to ‘burn fuses’, which essentially means - they won’t be able to delete any subdomains created.
Now that we understand these 3 primary points, let’s jump into the potential use cases of these subdomains on a practical level
Let’s use Gucci for example. Gucci owns 
Gucci.eth
If I were part of the web3 board at Gucci, here’s an idea I’d pitch:
Use Subdomains to build Gucci’s web3 community. Start with issuing subdomains to your customers, beginning with your Crypto-native users.
Charge a one-off registration fee + a yearly renewal fee.
For example, I’d register leo.gucci.eth Armed with this subdomain, as a customer, what do I get?
I get a Gucci-issued NFT that I can use at every interaction with the brand
I also get my very own Gucci digital identity
Think about the idea of web3 Digital identity en masse, now just imagine it at a micro level within the Gucci ecosystem
E.g. I go onto http://gucci.com ‘Access private catalog for Gucci.eth holders - Access Now’ This would be an NFT-gated section of the website. Which I can access after I connect my wallet & verify that I have a Gucci.eth subdomain leo.gucci.eth
The ‘secret’/gated section of the website can provide me as a customer, access to items not available to the public and potentially at prices not available to the public either (I say potentially, because I know Gucci doesn’t do sales/discounts)
The ‘my account’ section can be built around my Gucci username - leo.gucci.eth. It becomes my Gucci Ecosystem identifier Gucci no longer asks me for my email or phone number to pull up my customer profile, they just ask for my Gucci.eth username.
Maybe I could toggle my profile between private and public? This way, as I interact within the Gucci ecosystem and speak with other Gucci shoppers - they could search my username leo.gucci.eth and it would pull up a similar profile to what we see on OpenSea
Except…the Digital collectibles/NFTs you’d see would be all the products I ever purchased from Gucci
Let’s take a step further - imagine I load myself into whatever metaverse Gucci launches…
I access the Metaverse by verifying the subdomain in my wallet which also has a record of all the items I have purchased as a RL Gucci customer
These items of clothing/accessories are airdropped as NFT Skins which I can use when I walk within Gucci World
Yes, as in I enter Gucci World with a Gucci fit I own in real-life
Mind you, we’re just using Gucci as an example, this can be applied across 1000’s of business and many different industries.
Some rapid-fire ideas:
Launch a token-gated communication channel that can only be accessed by Gucci.eth holders.
As experiences move into the Metaverse, access to VIP sections could be reserved for subdomain holders.
I process payments for these goods using the crypto Wallet linked to my Gucci subdomain
Not to mention that there will undoubtedly be an element of username trading taking place also.
Think about how certain premium .eth domains are traded, but at a more micro scale
i.e. I could imagine it would be a flex to own 1.gucci.eth or king.gucci.eth or even your firstname.gucci.eth Flex & Gucci go hand in hand
Final thoughts
-
Subdomains appear to me as a great way to build a community centered around a company or even individuals.
-
Since they’re NFTs, they can be used in all the powerful ways we know NFTs can be used.
-
All the above is just a thought exercise. We won’t truly know how they’ll be used and how practical everything I mentioned will be until they roll out and the first few experimentations take place.
Either way, I’m pumped. Bring on the Subdomains 
Link to tweet by @LeoAlhalabi:
https://twitter.com/LeoAlhalabi/status/1584723332934430720?s=20&t=WCYK7sQxDJE-7gLIz_qWSQ