Ethereum Name Service

About Ethereum Name Service

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain. Its primary function 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', allowing metadata to be associated with Ethereum addresses. The system operates on dot-separated hierarchical names called domains, similar to DNS, but with a different architecture due to Ethereum's capabilities and constraints. Top-level domains like '.eth' are owned by smart contracts called registrars, which define rules for subdomain allocation. Anyone can obtain ownership of a domain by following these rules, and domain owners have full control over subdomains. ENS also supports importing DNS names already owned by users. It is deployed on the Ethereum main network and several test networks, with libraries like ensjs automatically detecting the network.

• ENS supports 'reverse resolution', allowing metadata to be associated with Ethereum addresses.
• Top-level domains like '.eth' are owned by smart contracts called registrars.
• ENS allows importing DNS names already owned by users.
• Anyone who owns a domain can create and configure subdomains for themselves or others.
• ENS is deployed on the Ethereum main network and several test networks.