Navigating Web3 Brand Protection in the Era of Uncertainty: A Conversation with Shane Layman of Markmonitor Group

Web3 is no longer a fringe concept. It is rapidly becoming one of the most important frontiers of the internet, one that presents an unprecedented opportunity for global brands. As corporations begin to explore blockchain-based naming systems, digital assets, and decentralized communities, the questions are endless and the need for trusted guidance has never been greater. Do brands need to protect their names on Web3? What do they need to look out for? What protections are in place?

To explore this from an insider’s perspective, we sat down with Markmonitor Group's Shane Layman, Manager of Global Industry Relations. An industry leader in corporate domain management, Layman works closely with some of the world’s most recognizable corporations to help protect and manage their brand names online. This positions him at a unique crossroads where domain name governance and policy, brand protection, and end user trends collide. 

How the Markmonitor Group Entered the Web3 Conversation

Layman’s entry into Web3 didn’t come from speculation. It came from real world experience. “I got involved with Web3 when we were noticing our customer’s names being registered by third parties during the NFT boom,” he shared. As NFT marketplaces and blockchain naming systems surged in popularity in 2021, brand impersonation followed quickly. For corporate domain managers like Layman, this felt familiar, echoing the early days of DNS where trademark abuse outpaced regulation. The difference this time is the terrain: decentralized by principle, fast-moving, and user-driven.

Web3: Not as Scary as Brands Think

Layman is unequivocal about Web3’s long-term potential. “We continually see new projects and innovations being built in the Web3 space and more and more brands are becoming involved, whether through their own tokens or communities or projects around services they offer,” he explained.  Still, corporations are hesitant to implement a strong brand protection strategy with Web3. “When we first dove into the space it seemed that the misconception with Web3 was around the unregulated nature and the term ‘the dark web’,” he explained. “Web3 is not ‘the dark web’ but is unregulated in the traditional DNS sense. When you really dig into the various blockchain networks and the DAOs you can see that a lot of Web3 is built from a growth perspective, and these projects aren’t designed in a nefarious way.”

That distinction is critical. The absence of regulation does not inherently imply malicious intent, but it does mean that brands must enter with a higher level of diligence, scrutiny, and strategic planning. Until ICANN-approved standards emerge, brands and users alike remain exposed in ways that feel reminiscent of the early Web2 era. Layman understands these sentiments, but says that brands might find a familiar landscape. “The complexities that exist aren’t as complex as one might think and have a lot of similarities with the traditional DNS.”

The comparison to DNS is an important one. While the underlying technology may be new, many of the strategic challenges of naming, rights protection, misuse, and customer trust are familiar. ICANN and the domain industry have just started conversations on how to bridge the policy gap between Web2 and Web3, and there’s a lot to cover on that front. As of today, ICANN hasn’t published formal Web3 guidance for corporations yet.

Trust as the Gateway to Mass Adoption

Any level of perceived risk is enough to disqualify brands from Web3 platforms, leaving brands exposed. Overcoming risk will be a defining challenge for corporations, especially as they put dollars on the line to protect their name. Layman sees trust as the answer to breaking down these barriers. “Blockchain organizations know that to grow the consumer base from crypto native to mainstream, it requires trust,” he said. “From my perspective a large consumer base is untapped without the trust from major brands being involved.”

In other words, mass adoption won’t come from technology alone. It will come from responsible use by recognizable entities and from the protections that make users feel safe engaging in this new digital environment. For corporations to confidently enter Web3, Layman believes the industry must establish clearer rules of the road, particularly around rights protection. “The adoption of Rights Protection Mechanisms such as the traditional UDRP to be implemented across Web3 through the various blockchains or blockchain naming organizations would be a huge first step,” he said. 

Navigating Risk in a Web3 Landscape

Even without formal governance, there are practical steps brands can take today.

“One point I make when discussing Web3 strategy is that not all blockchains are made equal. Really do your research on what blockchain or token your audience is interacting or using,” Layman advised.

His other big takeaway is around brand impersonation. “A lot of brand names are taken or being infringed upon and used in the space,” says Layman, who has first hand experience in acquiring Web3-native names. He discovered that there is no direct route to acquisition and that presents new hurdles to navigate. To implement a defensive domain strategy, corporations must accept the idea of trustless transactions, often brokered on social platforms like Telegram and via cryptocurrency payments. And he offers one piece of advice to anyone entering the space: “Really do your research, which can be leveraged using Markmonitor or your registrar, to assist with identifying your brand landscape in Web3. Look at where the gaps are, what your service is going to do and differ from what already exists and how you can utilize Web3 and the consumer base to grow.”

A Shared Responsibility for the Future of Web3

At .locker, we share Layman’s belief that Web3 is not a passing trend- it’s an evolution of how identity, ownership, and trust operate online. But for this next phase of the internet to succeed, it must be built responsibly, with education, safeguards, and industry-wide collaboration at the forefront. We’re at the cusp of Web3 adoption, and it’s time we start setting in stone the guidelines needed for brands to protect themselves online. As more trusted entities step into the space, the path toward industry standards becomes not only possible but inevitable.