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The idea of fractional ownership of
domain names has been kicked around for the past 20 years but, due
to a series of daunting legal and technical hurdles that had to be
cleared, it has been a long road to making the fractionalization option
a reality. Finally, D3,
a company founded by a team of domain industry veterans led by Fred
Hsu, created a new system called the Doma
Protocol that allowed them to launch a new blockchain network for
tokenizing and trading domain assets last November. Once
they had built it, like Field of Dreams, the question
became will they (buyers and sellers) come?
In the months since then millions of
domains have been listed on Doma but at this early stage. several blocks
remains to be laid. Recognition is a big one as it is for
all new platforms. Many don't yet know the system exists and newcomers
to it are still sorting through the questions that come from doing
things in an entirely new way. How do you list names and who determines
its value? Who retains control of the fractionalized asset? Who
decides when or if it will be sold to realize gains? Is there any was to
gauge the prospects for a given name beyond gut instinct?
Regarding recognition, top-tier one word
.com domain names that would draw attention to the platform and
interest from share buyers have been scarce. However, a big step forward
in that direction came today (July 1, 2026) when veteran domain
investors Michael Castello and David Castello (the
founders of Castello
Cities Internet Network in 1998
and the subject of a
2006 DNJournal
Cover Story)
opened their category-defining Smoothie.com
domain name to fractionalization on Doma (trading
here).
Having
their endorsement of the system and the spotlight that attracts is just
as valuable D3 to Doma as the listing itself.
Many
investors from the traditional domain world have been skeptical of
blockchain related projects, so we asked David
what won the Castello Brothers over in
this case. "I started keeping an eye on DOMA the latter part of last
year," he began. "I've always loved the concept of fractionalized domains and I watched
Doma continue to grow. I've known Fred Hsu for years and ended up calling him to learn more about it. Then I talked with my brother
and said, "They've got some good names but I don't see a category-defining
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Michael
Castello & David Castello 
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