Check out blockchain domains [1] which implement an NFT standard for domain names. So far Opera and Brave have added built-in support for .crypto and there are extensions for other browsers.
So the only people left are the ones mining coins and skirting KYC/AML laws and I think that leads to a scenario where they'll gain a reputation of being a "nefarious" technology even though there's _some_ merit in the idea.
DNS based censorship by western countries is a risky game IMO. That makes the system vulnerable to a developing country coming in, setting up alternate DNS roots, and refusing to filter / censor for copyright infringement. It won't take much for western users to learn they need to use a foreign search engine to find things the western countries want censored.
China's citizens will be using US search engines and US citizens will be using Chinese search engines. Lol.
Yeah I don't know why any of these blockchain DNS systems don't have an easy fiat on-ramp. Most people don't care about holding a token, they just want their domain name. It's fairly easy these days too with all the stablecoins around.
I definitely do NOT want the token/coin. As soon as I touch it the transaction becomes a taxable event for me. It's a nightmare. Imagine if every store in your city used a different foreign currency and the government made you track every transaction you make so you can report your foreign currency gains/losses on your taxes.
The thing is I wanted a brandable name that I could likely get for less than $.50, but I'd be willing to pay $50 via credit card to avoid dealing with HNS. I would literally pay 100x the market rate to avoid dealing with their crypto currency because, by the time I deal with the bookkeeping and taxes of a crypto purchase, it costs me more than $50 in time and effort.
I imagine it will become easier to buy with checkouts that can take a credit card. It looks like some already have a Stripe checkout workflow.
One thing that is easier about owning a domain as an NFT is that it's not a subscription; you pay once and own it until you want to transfer it to someone else.