As was previously mentioned, September was, to put it mildly, not a very successful month in the eyes of observers and participants in the domain market. Investor activity has noticeably decreased, and the number of large transactions has fallen, which analysts attribute to the general instability of the situation in the global economy. However, while “traditional” domains are experiencing a decline in interest, alternative domain zones based on the use of blockchain technologies are showing very good results. (It should be remembered that domains in such zones are used primarily to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions. And although it is also possible to create sites on alternative domains, such sites are not accessible from ordinary browsers).
It is difficult to say how interconnected these trends are, but the fact remains. According to The Defiant, September was extremely successful for the .ETH (Ethereum Name Service) alternative domain based on the Ethereum blockchain. As of the end of September, the number of domain names registered in .ETH exceeded 437,000, and the number of registration renewals was over 45,000. Both figures are a record for an alternative domain for the entire time of its existence. Short names are in special demand in .ETH, as in traditional domain zones. And transactions with them are already in many respects comparable in terms of amounts with transactions of the "regular" domain market - especially against the backdrop of its decline. So, in the last week of September alone, domains 408.eth, 242.eth and 468.eth were sold for at least 40 ETH each, which is at least 52 thousand dollars at the exchange rate at the time of the transactions.
