My Ethereum Wallet launches feature to enable decentralized websites

The IPFS powered feature will expose people to the advanced benefits of blockchain, said MEW CEO Hemachandra

My Ethereum Wallet (MEW), the free and open-source client-side interface for generating crypto wallets, has announced the launch of a new feature called “Host Your Own Site” that allows users to host their own decentralized websites.

This will enable users to post virtually uncensored content on domains such as .crypto and .eth through the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) support.

The new feature will empower users to interact with the blockchain directly while still retaining full control over their keys. Using smart contracts, they can own the domain as an asset on the Ethereum blockchain and control the content that they choose to post. The IPFS powered decentralized network of peer to peer computers allows the storing and sharing of data in distributed file systems. These websites are tied to Ethereum based domain name services, such as Unstoppable Domains or ENS.

Unstoppable Domains recently partnered with MEW to launch dBlogs that will enable users to register and manage decentralized and censor-free domains using the new MEW app.

Domains will cost $40 for a one-year registration period with no renewal charges. “Everyone in the world deserves to be able to publish, transact, and communicate online without fear of censorship,” said Brad Kam, the CEO of Unstoppable Domains.

MEW CEO, Kosala Hemachandra, explained the thinking behind the new feature: “MEW’s Host Your Own Site feature solves that problem by making the process of publishing content on a decentralized domain intuitive and easy for everyone,” said Hemachandra. “Wallets don’t have to be just for payments anymore,” he added.

Hemachandra noted that the objective and potential of a crypto domain was not known to many who had bought in. The new feature allows people to explore the more advanced features of blockchain, he said. Further, it allows MEW to capitalise on the need for free speech. “At the same time, we want to enable free speech,” he said.

However, the technology is still in its infancy and has a few limitations, Hemachandra explained. For starters, the feature can only be used for static websites, so a content management system like WordPress would not be compatible.

“In order for something like WordPress to work you have to have a backend server. Because of that — there are no servers in the distributed world — so there is no way to run the full WordPress instance,” he explained. Though it is unlikely that a fix to the issue is found anytime soon, “nothing is impossible,” the CEO emphasised.