A new and welcome addition to the Ethereum network is the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) which works in a similar way to the Internet’s DNS (Domain Name Server). DNS allows users to search for a website by name rather than a long string of numbers. So, what is Ethereum Name Service (ENS)? Let’s uncover the beneficial addition, and explore how it came into fruition.
What Is Ethereum Name Service (ENS)?
When the internet first started out websites were accessed through IP addresses, a long string of numbers that were not very user friendly. To improve the use case of the world wide web, developers designed DNS, which allowed users to use names instead of random, hard to remember numbers. Thankfully, now you can find your favourite crypto services at Oobit.com instead of 104.26.10.222. In Ethereum’s parallel aim to make crypto as easy to use as possible, the network introduced ENS so that users can bypass long complex codes to access the eth addresses that they need.
At its core, Ethereum Name Service is a distributed domain name provider linking information to a human-readable name in a secure and decentralized manner. Built on Ethereum and available to all of its products, users can now send ETH and ERC tokens to domainname.eth instead of the previous alphanumeric codes.
The Design
Leading the initial development were Alex Van de Sande and Nick Johnson of the Ethereum Foundation. The concept is designed to make the network more user friendly and easily accessible. Built on Ethereum’s smart contracts, ENS is in line with the network’s private, secure and decentralized nature. Compatible with all smart contracts on the network and designed to be non-profit, ENS is highly functional and a beneficial asset to all in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Unlike some competitors working on similar concepts, ENS is not designed to replace the internet’s DNS service. ENS is designed specifically for distributed content and blockchain addresses (Web3 resources) in its mission to provide trustworthy and distributed name resolution.
Designed as two smart contracts, one controls the translations from addresses to names, while the other, a registry, records all the domains, subdomains, owner’s details and the link to the former. The concept of one domain having control over subdomains remains the same as DNS, for instance Oobit.eth will have rights to own wallet.Oobit.eth, buybitcoin.Oobit.eth, etc.
The Execution: How Does ENS Work?
Designed to facilitate more ease of use when it comes to Ethereum dApps and sending assets, ENS is a fully decentralized and secure service that can be used by anyone on the network. Initially designed to offer top-level domain services through .eth, the platform aims to integrate ENS into the whole DNS space, allowing users to access over 1,300 other top-level domains such as .org, .net, .gov, etc.
How To Get An Ethereum Address
Users looking to buy a domain with Ethereum can do so conveniently and cheaply. You will need to visit manager.ens.domains through an Ethereum based wallet like MetaMask. From here you can search for the domain you’d like to utilize (note that users can use unicode in domain names so emojis are on the table 👍.eth) and follow the registration process. You’ll be charged $5.00 a year and as the owner of that domain, you are able to set up different subdomains you’d like linked.
The Future Of Accessible Crypto Domains Is Here
So, what is Ethereum Name Service (ENS)? In a giant step forward for easy crypto adoption, ENS allows users to create easy to find domains on the network, and easily facilitate payments through them. The crypto industry is dispersing innovation at a fast pace, are you keeping up?
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