The internet is evolving beyond the traditional client-server model, moving towards a more open, resilient, and user-owned architecture. This shift is powered by decentralized technologies like the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). For content creators, developers, and tech enthusiasts, understanding how to build and host websites on this new stack is becoming increasingly valuable.
This guide breaks down the core concepts, compares traditional and decentralized web architectures, and provides a practical overview of how you can deploy your own censorship-resistant site.
How the Traditional Web Works
To appreciate the decentralized web, it's important to first understand the foundational pieces of the traditional internet we use every day. The process of accessing a website can be likened to sending a physical package to a specific address.
The Role of a Domain Name
A domain name acts as a human-readable alias for a website's numerical IP address. For example, instead of typing 192.0.2.1, you type example.com. This name is easier to remember and share.
However, knowing a name is not enough to find a location. This is where the Domain Name System (DNS) comes in.
DNS, IP Addresses, and Servers
The DNS is the phonebook of the internet. When you enter a domain name into your browser, a series of DNS servers work together to translate that name into the corresponding IP address.
- DNS Servers: These are specialized computers that hold the directories mapping domain names to IP addresses. The process often involves querying multiple servers to find the correct answer.
- IP Address: This is the unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a network. For a website, the IP address typically points to a server—a powerful computer that hosts the website's files and data.
- Server: This is the machine that stores the website's code, images, and databases. Once your browser receives the IP address from the DNS, it connects to the server and requests the website content, which is then rendered on your screen.
In our package delivery analogy, the domain name is the recipient's name, the DNS is the process of looking up their address, the IP address is the street address itself, and the server is the building where the recipient resides.
Control and Ownership on the Traditional Web
From a website owner's perspective, publishing a site involves navigating a landscape controlled by various third-party entities.
The Domain Name Hierarchy
A domain name like www.example.com has several parts:
- Top-Level Domain (TLD): The suffix, such as
.com,.org, or.net. The control of which TLDs are available rests with ICANN, a centralized non-profit organization. - Second-Level Domain: The unique name you register (e.g.,
exampleinexample.com). You purchase the right to use this name from a domain registrar for a period of time, but ultimate ownership often remains with the registrar. - Subdomain: The prefix (e.g.,
wwwinwww.example.com). As the owner of the second-level domain, you can create any subdomain you wish and point it to different services.
The Limits of Control
The critical takeaway is that your control is always delegated:
- Domain Registrars & DNS Providers: These entities have the ultimate authority over your domain's registration and resolution. They can, under certain circumstances, seize or redirect your domain.
- Hosting Providers: You rent server space from companies like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure. They have physical control over the hardware storing your website and can take your site offline.
This centralized control creates points of failure and potential censorship.
Principles of the Decentralized Web
Decentralized technologies aim to return ownership and control to users. Two key projects enabling this are ENS and IPFS.
Ethereum Name Service (ENS)
ENS is a decentralized naming system built on the Ethereum blockchain. It allows users to register human-readable names ending in .eth (e.g., yourname.eth).
- Decentralized Ownership: When you register an
.ethname, you own it outright as a non-fungible token (NFT) on the Ethereum blockchain. No central authority can take it away from you before your registration period expires. - More Than a Website Address: An ENS name can store various types of information, most importantly a cryptocurrency wallet address. This allows it to function as both your website's name and your identity for receiving payments.
- Built-in Resolution: ENS handles the job of DNS in a trustless way. The rules for resolving a name to its content are written into an immutable smart contract, eliminating the need for a trusted third-party DNS provider.
👉 Explore decentralized naming services
InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)
IPFS is a peer-to-peer protocol for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system. It fundamentally changes how content is addressed and retrieved.
- Content-Based Addressing: Traditional addressing is location-based (find this file at this IP address). IPFS uses content-based addressing. Every piece of content has a unique cryptographic hash (a CID—Content Identifier) based on its data. You ask the network for content using its hash, and the network finds nodes that are storing it.
Key Advantages:
- Resilience: Content remains available as long as at least one node on the network is storing it, making it resistant to censorship and server outages.
- Efficiency: If multiple people request the same file, they can download pieces of it from each other, reducing bandwidth costs for the original host.
- Integrity: The cryptographic hash ensures the content you receive is exactly what was published. Any alteration would change the hash, making tampering evident.
Connecting ENS and IPFS with IPNS
A static IPFS hash points to one immutable version of content. To create a website that can be updated, you need a pointer that can change. This is where the InterPlanetary Name System (IPNS) comes in.
IPNS allows you to create a mutable pointer (linked to your cryptographic key) that can be updated to point to the latest hash of your website. You then link your ENS name to your IPNS address. The flow looks like this:
yourname.eth (ENS) -> points to -> your-ipns-key (IPNS) -> points to -> latest-website-hash (IPFS)
This creates a complete, updatable, and decentralized website stack.
A Practical Guide to Deployment
Deploying a decentralized website has been simplified by tools that handle much of the complexity.
Step 1: Acquire an ENS Domain
You will need a small amount of cryptocurrency (ETH) to register an .eth name. This is typically done through the official ENS app or supported wallets. Crucially, you must understand how to securely manage a cryptocurrency wallet and private keys before acquiring any crypto assets.
Step 2: Deploy Your Site to IPFS
You don't need to run an IPFS node yourself. Services like Fleek simplify the process:
- Connect your GitHub account to Fleek.
- Point it to a repository containing your static website (built with Hugo, Gatsby, or another static site generator).
- Fleek will automatically build your site and pin it to the IPFS network, providing you with a constant IPFS hash.
👉 Learn about advanced deployment methods
Step 3: Link Your ENS Domain to Your Content
Within Fleek's dashboard, you can connect your ENS domain. The service will guide you through the process of creating a transaction from your wallet to set the necessary records, pointing your .eth name to your IPFS-hosted content (usually via IPNS for updateability).
Bridging to the Traditional Web: Gateways
Most current web browsers do not natively resolve .eth domains or IPFS hashes. To make your site accessible to everyone, you use an HTTP gateway. A gateway is a service that bridges the traditional web and the decentralized web.
When a user visits yourname.eth.limo, the .limo gateway fetches the content associated with yourname.eth from the decentralized web (via IPFS) and serves it to the user's standard browser. Other popular gateways include eth.link and ipfs.io.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to use a .eth domain for a decentralized website?
A: No. You can use a traditional domain name (e.g., .com) and configure its DNS records to point to an IPFS gateway that hosts your content. Conversely, an .eth domain can also be configured to point to a traditional website.
Q: Is hosting on IPFS completely free?
A: While the IPFS protocol itself is free, ensuring your content remains available (pinned) requires either running your own always-on node or using a pinning service (like Fleek, Pinata, or Infura), which may have free tiers and paid plans for higher usage.
Q: Can I create a dynamic website (e.g., with user logins) on IPFS?
A: IPFS is ideal for static content. For dynamic functionality, a decentralized website would typically interact with a separate decentralized backend, such as a smart contract on a blockchain or a decentralized database like Ceramic Network.
Q: Is content on IPFS and ENS private?
A: No. Data on IPFS is public. Anyone who has the CID can access the content. ENS records are also publicly visible on the blockchain. These technologies are designed for openness and verifiability, not privacy.
Q: What happens if I lose access to my wallet that owns my ENS name?
A: If you lose your private keys, you will lose control over your ENS name and any funds associated with that wallet. It cannot be recovered. This underscores the importance of rigorous key management and backup.
Q: Are decentralized websites faster than traditional ones?
A: It depends. Initially, loading via a public gateway might be similar. However, once content is popular and cached on many nodes across the IPFS network, it can be delivered from a node geographically closer to the user, potentially improving speed.
Conclusion
The decentralized web, built on technologies like ENS and IPFS, represents a paradigm shift towards a more robust, user-centric, and censorship-resistant internet. It challenges the model of centralized control by corporations and governments, offering a vision where users have true ownership of their digital identity and content.
While the user experience is still maturing and requires bridges like gateways, the underlying infrastructure is powerful and operational today. For developers and creators, exploring this stack is not just a technical exercise but a step towards building a more open and resilient future for the web.