What Is Ethereum Name Service (ENS)?

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain. ENS converts human-readable Ethereum addresses like john.eth into the machine-readable alphanumeric codes you know from wallets like Metamask. The reverse conversion -- associating metadata and machine-readable addresses with human-readable Ethereum addresses -- is also possible.

The goal of Ethereum Name Service is to make the Ethereum-based web easier to access and comprehend for humans - similar to how the Internet’s Domain Name Service makes the internet more accessible. Like DNS, ENS also uses a system of dot-separated hierarchical names called domains with domain owners fully controlling their subdomains.

ENS launched with a highly successful retroactive airdrop in November 2021 that rewarded users who had registered addresses before the project launched its token. However, in February 2022, it faced criticism over apparently homophobic tweets by its director of operations.

Who Are the Founders of Ethereum Name Service?

ENS was initially a part of the Ethereum Foundation, but spun off as a separate organization in 2018. Its Lead Developer is Nick Johnson, a software engineer from New Zealand that previously worked at Google and the Ethereum Foundation. The ENS team is nine people strong and its treasury is governed by a 4-7 multi-signature root with the following members:

• Nick Johnson - ENS
• Sergey Nazarov - Chainlink
• Dan Finlay - Metamask
• Taylor Monahan - MyCrypto
• Aron Fischer - Colony
• Jason Carver - Ethereum Foundation
• Martin Swende - Ethereum Foundation

Although ENS has no investors, it is supported by the Ethereum Foundation, Binance_X, Chainlink, Ethereum Classic Labs, and Protocol Labs.