NIP-05 enables a Nostr user to map their public key to a DNS-based internet identifier. The verification mechanism is similar to how Google requires you to verify your ownership of a domain using a DNS record.

The major benefit of verification is that it allows a Nostr user to be identified by a human-readable name, instead of a long, hard-to-remember public key. This enables verified Nostr users to easily share their identity with others.