Oct 20•6 min read

What is the Ethereum Name Service (ENS)?

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a unique protocol on the Ethereum blockchain that allows users to create unique names/domains under the .ETH extension.

Links in this article may lead to affiliate/referral commissions if you make any purchases. Although I recommend products, I encourage you to please read and invest responsibly!

Why get a .ETH domain name?

Ethereum name service is a useful protocol allowing for a blockchain domain to be built on the Ethereum blockchain. ENS names are generally used to create user-friendly readable usernames for crypto wallets. Usually, Ethereum's public addresses consists of 42 characters.

The disadvantage of this public address is that whenever someone wants to send or receive assets, they must write these long 42 hexadecimal numbers, which can very much be streamlined.

ENS helps them to create unique usernames instead of 42-character hexadecimal. It can easily be written as ‘’name.eth’ for example’. Your .ETH domain can become your identity, wallet or website.

Ethereum leads the DeFi and NFT marketplace, and receives capital and attention worldwide because of it's aged ecosystem. Having a short, unique and meaningful .ETH domain name can set you apart in this competitive ecosystem.

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a unique protocol on the Ethereum blockchain that allows users to create unique names/domains under the .ETH extension. This will be crucial to onboard new users, businesses and their customers with a more friendly wallet and domain service to interact with using crypto.

Making transactions on the Ethereum blockchain require ETH as payment. You can purchase ETH on many large exchanges like Coinbase.

How does Ethereum Name Service (ENS) work?

ENS is very simple for front end users. Once you create a MetaMask account and purchase your ENS domain, you can begin using a plethora of available features immediately.

Sending crypto to long addresses can be tedious and confusing, a problem solved with a crypto domain service like ENS.

All domains are stored in the Ethereum Name Service. ENS is a decentralized system that also allows users to transfer, register, and resolve domains. Similar to the DNS system, one purpose of ENS is to facilitate Web 3.0 and .ETH websites.

ENS is connected to Ethereum Blockchain, which means that all domain names are stored in the Blockchain.

The Ethereum Name Service is made up of two main parts. The registry and the resolvers.

Registry

The registry is comprised of a smart contract that stores three crucial pieces of information about each domain and subdomain in addition to a list of all.

These are the parts stored in the registry:

The owner of the domain
The domain's resolver
The caching time-to-live for all of the domain's records

The ENS registry's primary function is to map a name to the resolver in charge. In the meantime, domain owners in the ENS registry are permitted to:

Set the resolver and the time-to-live (TTL) for the domain
Change the ownership of the subdomains
Transfer ownership of their domain to another address

Resolvers

On the other hand, resolvers are in charge of converting the names into addresses. In the Ethereum Name Service, a resolver can be any contract that adheres to the necessary standards. However, there are two steps involved in resolving a name in ENS.

The first step is to inquire about the name's resolver with the registry.
The second option is to inquire about that specific resolver regarding the response to the query.

Register/Purchase Your Ethereum Name Service (ENS) Domain:

Making transactions on the Ethereum blockchain require ETH as payment. You can purchase ETH on many large exchanges like Coinbase.

Follow the given instructions to register your Ethereum Name Service Domain:

Step 1. Visit MyEtherWallet.com.

Check the HTTPS and URL to ensure that you are on a legit website to avoid any scams.

Step 2. Link your wallet.

You can create your new wallet if you already don’t have one. Or you can simply link to your previous wallet.

Gas will also require some ETH.

A gas fee in ETH is required for each Ethereum transaction. Both the initialization and completion of ENS domains are considered transactions.

Step 3. Access ENS Manager

To the left of the overview page for your wallet, go to the Dapps section. Look for the option labeled "ENS Manager" menu. Click on it!

Step 4. Find Your Desired Domain

Enter your required domain name to ensure its availability. Here are some things to know about choosing ENS domains:

Domains must be at least three characters long.
YourDomainHere.eth will be the name of the finished product.
You can also explore accessible ENS domains on Etherscan.io.

Step 5. Check Out

You can register/purchase your desired domain if it is available. Click "Next" after choosing how long you want to keep the domain.

Maintaining longer domains costs the same as $5 per year in Ethereum, but shorter domains become more expensive. These domains are owned by you forever as long as the annual fee is paid.

Step 6. Verify Transaction Details

Double-check the transaction details. Then click on the “Confirmation Screen” and the " Confirm and Send” button.

Confirm the transaction on that interface before continuing if you are using a hardware wallet or an extension like Enkrypt or MetaMask or a mobile wallet via WalletConnect.

To begin the registration process, close the "Transaction initiated" screen. Select "Register" once more when the transaction process is finished and repeat the process to confirm the second transaction.

Don’t leave the process from this step because doing so will result in a fresh start for the entire procedure. Visit Etherscan.io to view your transaction. Under the "Owner" field, your public address ought to be displayed.

Managing your ENS domain

Here’s how to manage your ENS domains easily:

Go to your MEW wallet and select the DAaps option from the left menu.
Under the "Manage Domain" screen, you can keep track of ENS domains registered to the public address being accessed.
To change the page, click on the "ENS manager" button.
Click the pencil icon on the right side of the domain name to modify/edit it.

Expectations on the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and ENS Token

The prices of ENS cryptocurrency are set to rise in the upcoming years. ENS token is a governance token for the ENS protocol. Given the rise in NFT trading and brands moving onto the blockchain, it's likely that the ENS protocol will be in heavy demand.

Remember that ENS tokens are purely governance tokens and offer the ability to vote on proposals in the future. ENS token is available on centralized exchanges like Coinbase.

Why Do You Need An Ethereum Name Service domain?

Operating on the Ethereum network requires better naming depth for future onboarded users, and the Ethereum Name Service creates an extendable naming system built on the Ethereum blockchain.

Share this story