The information about Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is:

 

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized, open-source naming system launched in May 2017 on the Ethereum blockchain, initiated by Nick Johnson and the Ethereum Foundation. It maps human-readable names like "alice.eth" to machine-readable identifiers such as Ethereum addresses, content hashes, and metadata, simplifying interactions with blockchain assets.[](https://www.blockchain-council.org/blockchain/ethereum-name-service-ens/)[](https://x.com/ensdomains/status/1455661186112950274)

 

ENS operates similarly to the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) but uses Ethereum’s smart contracts for a secure, censorship-resistant, and decentralized architecture. It supports cross-chain naming for wallets, smart contracts, and other blockchain resources, enhancing usability across the Web3 ecosystem.[](https://support.ens.domains/en/articles/7900404-what-is-ens)[](https://www.thebigwhale.io/tokens/ethereum-name-service)

 

The system relies on two core smart contracts: the ENS registry, which records all domains and stores information about their owner, resolver, and caching time, and the resolver, which translates names to addresses and vice versa. ENS domains are ERC-721 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), tradeable on platforms like OpenSea, and will support ERC-1155 standards in the future.[](https://support.ens.domains/en/articles/7900404-what-is-ens)[](https://www.coinbase.com/price/ethereum-name-service)[](https://www.blockchain-council.org/blockchain/ethereum-name-service-ens/)

 

ENS domains, like ".eth," are registered through a yearly rental process, initially involving auctions for popular names but now available for direct registration. Domain owners control subdomains and can link them to multiple cryptocurrency addresses or other data, such as IPFS hashes or social media handles.[](https://academy.binance.com/en/articles/what-is-ethereum-name-service-ens)[](https://zerocap.com/insights/snippets/what-is-ethereum-name-service-ens/)

 

The ENS token, an ERC-20 token, governs the protocol through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Token holders can propose and vote on protocol changes, such as pricing for ".eth" names. The total supply is 100 million tokens, with 25% airdropped to early domain holders (claimable from November 2021 to May 2022), 25% allocated to contributors, and 50% to the DAO treasury, with 10% available at launch and the rest vesting over four years.[](https://www.bitstamp.net/learn/cryptocurrency-guide/what-is-the-ethereum-name-service-ens/)[](https://cryptopotato.com/what-is-ens-ethereum-name-service/)[](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ens)

 

ENS enhances security by reducing errors from typing long hexadecimal addresses and supports decentralized websites via integration with systems like IPFS. It is immutable, stored on Ethereum’s blockchain, making it resistant to hacks unlike centralized DNS systems.[](https://support.ens.domains/en/articles/7900404-what-is-ens)[](https://www.cityam.com/the-dark-side-of-the-ethereum-name-service-ens/)

 

The protocol has grown significantly, with over 2.8 million domains registered by 2022. Features like bulk renewals and transfers have been added, and ENS Labs, a Singapore-based non-profit, leads development. ENS also plans to integrate DNS namespaces, allowing traditional domain owners to claim names on ENS.[](https://forkast.news/what-is-ens-ethereum-name-service-how-does-it-work/)[](https://www.blockchain-council.org/blockchain/ethereum-name-service-ens/)

 

ENS tokens can be stored in wallets like MetaMask or Ledger and traded on exchanges like Binance or Coinbase. The system is community-driven, with governance discussions held on forums like discuss.ens.domains, aiming to make blockchain interactions more accessible and user-friendly.[](https://cryptopotato.com/what-is-ens-ethereum-name-service/)[](https://www.thebigwhale.io/tokens/ethereum-name-service)