ENS ID vs Bi DID: A Domain Link or a Real Name
Comparison Between a Real Web3 ID and Domain naming system
Web3 and Blockchain have introduced a new model of online interaction and socialization. This interaction system has mandated users to acquire a form of digital identity to enable them to access this new model of digital interaction, which otherwise wouldn’t be possible without owning a digital ID.
Digital identity cannot be overemphasized in the discourse of Blockchain or crypto natives as it is the only entry point to all and any form of experience on-chain.
The only form of digital identity in the early days of crypto was the alphanumeric set of codes which is unique and cannot be duplicated or replicated. This made on-chain transactions and interactions a possibility among Blockchain and crypto users. We could do almost anything from exchange of cryptocurrency, transfer of NFTs, build social interactions and circles etc.
While this was a significant stepping stone in the pursuit of decentralized digital identity, it was a far cry from the expectation of the everyday user. It was not enough to convince a user to switch from web2 to web3.
After a while, there was another leap towards perfection with the introduction of the Ethereum Name Service(ENS), which allowed users to replace the long set of codes with a domain name such as Brian.eth. The ENS identity system was designed to house the alphanumeric codes with a domain name to make it more user-friendly and somewhat pronounceable, just as the DNS provided websites with a domain name to house the IP address of the sites. The ENS identity system was built with the same principle as the Domain Name System(DNS)
This was quite a relief for most users as they didn’t have to scribble lots of codes offhand, and it also made it easier to identify and socialize with other users on-chain. The architecture of the ENS also made it possible for users to create subdomains from the original domain.
Even though this was a welcoming development for most crypto natives, we can all agree that there was still a lot to be done to achieve a satisfactory identity system in the web3 world that will provide users with a true sense of identity just as they have it in the physical world.
Bi.social, a one-stop home for all social networking tools for web3 natives, finally brought about a final and lasting solution to the subject of identity in web3 with the launch of its decentralized identity system- Bi DID. Bi DID is an on-chain identity system that provides Blockchain users with a highly recognizable and unique name in the web3 world. It has made it possible for web3 natives to maintain their real-world ID as their on-chain ID.
Bi DID is a people-centric identity system built with a philosophy that every web3 address belongs to a real person who exists in the real world, has a physical identity and should possess an on-chain identity that reflects their identities in the physical world.
We all thought it would take several years to achieve an identity system similar to our real-world identity. We were all wrong, as we now have a digital identity system that supports our real-world names and identities for all web3 natives and blockchain users, and guess what- it’s without a suffix.
The ENS and Bi DID differ in several ways, but we’ll be taking a more detailed inspection of the performance of the Bi DID system and the ENS ID in critical areas that affect most web3 native users.
Key Differences between the ENS ID and Bi DID
Name architecture
The ENS, as stated earlier, has a similar architecture to the DNS, which makes it a domain with a suffix i.e. Samar.eth. The Bi DID, on the other hand, has a similar architecture to our real-world naming system, which means you can adapt your actual biological name as your on-chain ID through Bi DID i.e. If you’re Joseph in the real world, you can retain your name as Joseph on the Blockchain without any suffix attached to your name. I believe we would all be more comfortable with being identified with our name other than a domain. Bi DID has finally added that touch of perfection to the identity system on the Blockchain.
Fees
The Bi DID cost between $10-$640 for a one-time buyout, while the ENS has an annual cost with similar amounts. This is a no-brainer. If you were to purchase a Bi DID today for, say, $10 and also buy an ENS for the same $10, after ten years, the cumulative cost of the ENS will be a whopping $100 while the Bi DID will still maintain a flat fee of a one-time $10 after ten years. This offer is just incredible.
Ownership
The corollary to the above statement is that Bi DID comes with permanent ownership as it is a one-time buyout, unlike the ENS, which requires an annual subscription or renewal. To put this in context, while you have perpetual ownership of your Bi ID, a person can lose their ENS ownership in the event of a failure to renew or lose out on a bid in the case of a bidding system.
Profile Description
Once again, Bi DID takes the lead here as it is the first ID directly linked to a human-friendly profile space. Once you search for any Bi DID account, you’ll be redirected to the user’s homepage on Bi Space(a profile homepage service by Bi.social that houses all your on-chain activities and transaction and presents them in the most understandable format for viewers) and the searcher would be able to see all the user’s on-chain information. The ENS, on the other hand, displays almost all its information with a set of codes and alphanumeric characters. This makes it almost impossible for users to make reasonable decisions with this information.
Accessibility
The ENS has an architecture that only makes it accessible through the ENS dApps or other supported dApps. On the contrary, Bi DID possesses a more flexible architecture as it does not require any dApps support to access it but can be accessed directly from any browser by simply typing in a query in this format- “bi.social/your DID”.
Philosophy
The ENS was developed with the same philosophy as the DNS. It seeks to provide an identity system characterized by domains and subdomains that will only run on the Ethereum network. This is a developer-oriented perspective that has long plagued the web3 world and made it difficult for an average user to find their way around Blockchain tools and services.
Bi DID sustains a people-oriented philosophy. It understands that we are not websites but humans and should maintain our identities regardless of the particular platform of engagement at a given time. With its interest in ensuring a broad adoption, it will be interoperable across several main chains and networks. It will also give users the absolute right to modify their information, grant permission or revoke access to dApps and control all their on-chain activities through their Bi DID.
While the ENS took digital identity a step ahead of the alphanumeric set of characters, it is no exaggeration to assert that Bi DID has taken it several steps further, introduced a holistic approach and ultimately perfected the idea of identity in web3. At this point, we would no longer be identified as a link or domain but as real people who exist in the real world with real names.
About Bi.social
Bi.social provides Web3-native social networking services. Unlike other social protocols or components that provide single functions, Bi.social is dedicated to building an integrated Web3-native social network. Based on users’ on-chain data, Bi.social focuses on native interacting scenarios and provides a series of Web3 social features, including Space, Search, DID, etc. Eventually, it will evolve into the largest social networking infrastructure and platform in the Web3 world.
Official website: https://bi.social
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/Bitislands_
Discord server: https://discord.gg/bitislands
