Ethereum Name Service
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The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain.
ENS’s job is to map human-readable names like ‘alice.eth’ to machine-readable identifiers such as Ethereum addresses, other cryptocurrency addresses, content hashes, and metadata. ENS also supports ‘reverse resolution’, making it possible to associate metadata such as canonical names or interface descriptions with Ethereum addresses.
ENS has similar goals to DNS, the Internet’s Domain Name Service, but has significantly different architecture due to the capabilities and constraints provided by the Ethereum blockchain. Like DNS, ENS operates on a system of dot-separated hierarchical names called domains, with the owner of a domain having full control over subdomains.
Top-level domains, like ‘.eth’ and ‘.test’, are owned by smart contracts called registrars, which specify rules governing the allocation of their subdomains. Anyone may, by following the rules imposed by these registrar contracts, obtain ownership of a domain for their own use. ENS also supports importing in DNS names already owned by the user for use on ENS.
ENS launches Immunefi audit competition
ENS has opened an audit competition with Immunefi, inviting security researchers to review the new ENS App, ENS Explorer, and supporting infrastructure through September 14, with a maximum reward pool of $70,000. The competition was first announced for August 18 as security testing expands ahead of mainnet.
Ambire adds ENS renewal notifications
Ambire now notifies users about expiring or expired ENS names, prompting them to renew the domain with a direct link. ENS describes the feature as another layer of protection for ENS payments.
App and Explorer launch in public beta on Sepolia
ENS has released its revamped App and Explorer in a public beta running on Ethereum Sepolia, testing the ENSv2 registry, the latest apps, and the upgrade flow for eligible Sepolia .eth names. Users can try renewals, profile themes, flexible expiry dates, primary-name shortcuts, notifications, and faster search.
Binance Wallet adds ENS name support
The Binance ecosystem has extended ENS support: Binance Wallet users can send and receive assets with ENS names directly from the browser extension. Users need to update to the latest version (v1.20.0) to see the feature.
ICANN report backs DNS and onchain name coexistence
A new ICANN report finds that the same name can function across the traditional internet and onchain without conflicting versions of control, with the right safeguards. ENS views this as a possible path for DNS and onchain names to work together, and notes it has applied for .ens in ICANN's 2026 round — the report doesn't approve individual applications but supports the concept of one name across both systems.
ENS Foundation becomes fully operational
ENS tokenholders have approved and executed a proposal establishing the ENS Foundation as a fully operational organization. The announcement outlines what changes, what stays the same, and how tokenholders remain in control.
Mt Pelerin links ENS names to IBAN transfers
Mt Pelerin now lets users buy, swap, and cash out crypto using their ENS name as a receiving or sending address, including creating personal IBANs to send and receive bank transfers under their own name. The integration makes crypto-fiat transfers more human-readable.
ENS scuttles Namechain rollup, moves ENSv2 to mainnet
ENS dropped plans for its Namechain Layer 2 rollup and said it will deploy the ENSv2 upgrade exclusively on Ethereum mainnet, citing dramatically lower gas costs and a shift in Ethereum's L1 scaling philosophy.
ENS Labs proposes ENSv2 with Layer 2 expansion
ENS Labs proposed ENSv2, a plan to expand and rearchitect the ENS protocol onto Layer 2 networks, citing lower gas costs, a more flexible hierarchical registry, and improved multi-chain interoperability.
DAO vote to remove director Brantly Millegan fails
A governance proposal to remove ENS Foundation director Brantly Millegan over resurfaced anti-LGBTQ tweets failed, and he remained a director and voted in the decision himself.
ENS governance token launched and airdropped
ENS introduced its $ENS governance token, airdropping 25 million tokens to .eth name holders and establishing the ENS DAO to govern the protocol and its treasury.
Permanent .eth registrar replaces the auction system
ENS upgraded to a permanent registrar contract, ending the Vickrey auction in favor of instant registration for .eth domains and converting them into ERC-721 non-fungible tokens with annual renewal fees.
ENS launches on Ethereum mainnet
ENS launched by Nick Johnson and Alex Van de Sande of the Ethereum Foundation on May 4, 2017, initially offering registration of .eth names seven characters or longer via an auction-based registrar to limit squatting.