The problem Ethermain solves

Our existing DNS is conceived during a time where crypto has not been invented. As such, it has not been designed to handle websites with billions of dollars at stake.

The registrar is the weak point of our current DNS architecture: numerous crypto exploits have arisen as a result of DNS-related hacks, not the underlying smart contracts. Web3 applications, no matter how secure their contracts or infrastructure, will always operate under the perpetual risk of front-end compromises, through no fault of their own. Registrar data leaks, system vulnerabilities, lax security / opsec hygiene, compromised login credentials, impersonation attacks – you name it!

In addition, when you buy a web domain through a conventional registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap, you are mandated to dox your real-world details (banking info, home addresses, etc.). You're also subjected to the TOCs of each registrar – you never truly "own" your domain, as they have the power to unilaterally suspend / revoke your domain.

Ethermain leverages the incorruptible nature of Ethereum smart contracts to guarantee the integrity of domain records stored within its onchain TLD registry: the only way for anyone to “hack” your domain (changing NS and DS records) is if your private key is compromised.

Also, goodbye walled gardens of centralized registrars: your domain is now free from the closed environment of its registrar. Trading Ethermain web domains, is as easy as trading ERC20s or NFTs. Wrap your web domain as an NFT, and use it to participate in DeFi.

PS: Unlike predecessors before us (i.e., ENS, Unstoppable Domains, Handshake), Ethermain is designed to be fully compatible with our existing DNS system. The DNS is a highly intricate system spanning decades ever since the internet was born – the premise of the entire internet supporting an alt root is extremely infeasible (involving modifications to ISPs, SSL/TLS, CDN, and the entire chain of security systems built on top of each other).

Challenges we ran into

Due to the complexity of our project's implementation, and the short amount of time that we have during the hackathon (<2d) we have to prune down on stuff and try to prioritize what's essential for our MVP so that we can showcase the vision that we have to everyone.

It is a test for our team to split and manage workloads, while at the same time still aiming to at least get some rest.