Ethereum Name Service
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized naming protocol on Ethereum that maps human-readable .eth names to cryptocurrency addresses, content hashes, and metadata across 100+ chains. Governed by the ENS DAO, it serves crypto users, brands, and developers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Ethereum Name Service does
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized naming protocol founded in 2017 and operated as a DAO-governed public good, with ENS Foundation (Cayman Islands) providing the legal entity and ENS Labs Ltd (Singapore, a 1-10 employee non-profit) responsible for core software development. ENS maps human-readable names (e.g., name.eth) to machine-readable identifiers including cryptocurrency wallet addresses, content hashes, smart contracts, and metadata, with resolution supported across 100+ chains including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and XRP. The protocol has accumulated 638,435 owners, 1,345,030 registered.eth names, and an ecosystem-wide footprint of 1.6M domains with 30M subnames, embedded in 600+ wallets, dapps, exchanges, browsers, and developer tools.
The product surface consists of the ENS Protocol (core on-chain naming infrastructure), the ENS App (a consumer-facing self-serve registration interface at app.ens.domains with stablecoin payments, chain abstraction, and wallet abstraction), and the ENS Explorer (a developer tool for inspecting names, custom resolvers, and contract relationships). Notable technical components include CCIP Read (EIP-3668) for cross-chain interoperability, ENSIP-17 Gasless DNSSEC which lets traditional DNS domains function as crypto wallet addresses without gas fees, an ENSv2 Hierarchical Registry giving each.eth name its own registry with role-based permissions (managing records, updating resolvers, controlling ownership, administrative settings), and offchain resolvers that enable subname issuance without onchain transactions. Distribution channels are predominantly self-serve product-led growth coupled with deep OEM/embedded integrations across Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, Rainbow, Phantom, Brave, Etherscan, PayPal/Venmo, and Base App.
ENS earns revenue from one-time name registration fees (including Dutch auctions for premium names) and annual renewals priced from 0.1 ETH/year for three-letter names down to 0.0001 ETH/year for ten-plus-character names, with stablecoin payments supported across EVM chains. The $ENS token is a governance instrument rather than a revenue share or equity; token holders vote on proposals, control the DAO treasury, and approve grants (130 ETH distributed historically across 680 proposals with 500 voters). The DAO approved 800 ETH in March 2026 to fund the ENSv2 migration to ZKsync Era Layer 2, targeting mainnet launch in Q3-Q4 2026. Because ENS is structured as a non-profit DAO-governed protocol, revenue figures are not publicly disclosed and the operating entity (ENS Labs) is intentionally lean. Customer segments span individual crypto users (primary), DAOs and communities, enterprises and brands, developers and builders, and L2 ecosystems and protocols.
Ethereum Name Service firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ethereum Name Service
- Legal name
- ENS Foundation
- Website
- https://ens.domains
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized naming protocol on Ethereum that maps human-readable .eth names to cryptocurrency addresses, content hashes, and metadata across 100+ chains. Governed by the ENS DAO, it serves crypto users, brands, and developers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ethereum Name Service industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Decentralized Identity Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232)
- SIC
- Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cross-Chain Identity & Naming (multi-chain DID, ENS cross-chain resolution) (FSAPAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Account Abstraction & Smart Wallet Tooling (AA SDKs, paymasters, session keys) (FSAPABAK), Smart Contract Wallets & Account Abstraction (FSADACAF), Smart Contract Execution Environments (EVM/WASM, runtimes, precompiles) (FSAPABAA)
Keywords
Where Ethereum Name Service is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ethereum Name Service business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Name Registration Fees: Fees collected when users register ENS names on Ethereum. Pricing varies by name length with longer names being cheaper. Registration is a one-time event with renewals required annually.
- Name Renewal Fees: Annual renewal fees for maintaining ENS name ownership. Pricing model: 0.1 ETH/year for 3-letter names, 0.01 ETH/year for 4-letter names, 0.001 ETH/year for 5-9 letter names, 0.0001 ETH/year for 10+ letter names
- ENS Token ($ENS): ENS governance token used for DAO voting. Token holders approve funding for protocol development, grants, and strategic initiatives. Protocol is undergoing v2 migration with DAO funding of 800 ETH approved in March 2026
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 3-letter names: 0.1 ETH/year |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 4-letter names: 0.01 ETH/year |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 5-9 letter names: 0.001 ETH/year |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | 10+ letter names: 0.0001 ETH/year |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | DNS Domain Import: Free (gasless via ENSIP-17) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ethereum Name Service product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized naming protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain that maps human-readable names (e.g., name.eth) to machine-readable identifiers such as cryptocurrency wallet addresses, content hashes, smart contracts, and metadata. The protocol operates across 100+ chains including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and XRP, while being secured by Ethereum. ENS offers a self-serve app for name registration and management, a developer explorer, and is governed by the ENS DAO using the $ENS governance token.
Product overview
ENS is a decentralized naming protocol that functions as the identity layer for the internet, mapping human-readable names to crypto wallet addresses, content hashes, smart contracts, and metadata across 100+ chains. The core ENS Protocol connects to the consumer-facing ENS App for streamlined name registration and management, and the ENS Explorer for deep protocol inspection. The ecosystem includes ENS DAO for governance, developer documentation, a grants program (130 ETH funded, 680 proposals), and a bug bounty program (up to $250,000). ENSv2 represents the next generation featuring ZKsync Era Layer 2 migration with hierarchical registry architecture giving each .eth name its own registry, role-based permissions, and enhanced cross-chain interoperability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ENS App: A streamlined consumer product for newcomers and everyday users focused on seamless name registration and identity management.
- ENS Explorer
- ENSv2
Products and services
- ENS Protocol Core decentralized naming protocol built on Ethereum that maps human-readable names to machine-readable identifiers including crypto wallet addresses, content hashes, smart contracts, and metadata across 100+ chains.
- ENS App Consumer-facing application for registering and managing ENS names with simplified registration flows, stablecoin payments across EVM chains, wallet abstraction, and notifications.
- ENS Explorer Developer tool for inspecting ENS names, contracts, resolvers, and protocol data with advanced ownership capabilities and historical records.
- ENSv2 Next generation of ENS protocol featuring migration to ZKsync Era Layer 2, hierarchical registry architecture giving each .eth name its own registry, role-based permissions, and enhanced multi-chain interoperability.
- ENS DAO Decentralized autonomous organization that governs the ENS protocol, with $ENS token holders voting on proposals including funding allocations and protocol upgrades.
- ENS Developer Documentation Comprehensive developer documentation covering ENS contracts, CCIP Read protocol, quickstart guides, and integration resources.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45% reduction in failed transactions due to incorrect addresses
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Ethereum Name Service
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ethereum Name Service technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature7 records
Ethereum Name Service partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CoinbasecoreCoinbase integrated ENS into Coinbase Wallet and Base ecosystem. Base uses ENS for Basenames identity system. Deep integration as foundational infrastructure partner with Coinbase's L2 Base built on ENS naming standards.
- UniswapcoreUniswap Labs integrated ENS for uni.eth subdomains enabling gasless usernames in Uniswap Wallet. Over 2M usernames registered. Integration demonstrates ENS as standard for decentralized identity.
- GoDaddycoreGoDaddy partnered to enable DNS domains (.com, .org, .ai) to function as crypto wallet addresses via ENSIP-17 gasless DNSSEC. Onboards millions of GoDaddy customers to Web3.
- PayPalcorePayPal and Venmo integrated ENS for sending/receiving PYUSD and crypto with .eth names. First traditional fintech to integrate ENS, enabling payments to human-readable addresses.
- WorldcoreWorld App uses ENS naming (world.id) for user accounts and smart contract addresses across Ethereum, Optimism, and Polygon. Demonstrates ENS as standard for verified identity.
- FarcastercoreFarcaster integrated ENS usernames (farcaster.eth) for social identity. ENS usernames now live on Farcaster. Supported in Base App.
- EthereumcoreENS is built on Ethereum and serves as the primary naming layer for the Ethereum ecosystem. Ethereum Foundation supports interoperable L2 ENS standards.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Ethereum Name Service competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Handshake: Handshake is a decentralized DNS alternative that aims to replace the root zone file and DNS hierarchy with a blockchain-based naming system. It competes with ENS at the infrastructure level for decentralized domain ownership, though it operates at a different layer of the naming stack.
- Worldcoin / World ID: World ID is a proof-of-personhood identity system that uses ENS subnames (world.id) for user accounts. It competes in the broader digital identity space with ENS and overlaps in use cases around verifiable identity, though it is differentiated by its biometric verification layer.
- Verida: Verida is a self-sovereign identity platform that provides decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and credential management. It competes with ENS in the Web3 identity space, focusing on credential portability and user data ownership rather than naming resolution.
- Lens Protocol: Lens Protocol is a decentralized social graph with built-in handle/naming primitives that compete for social identity and profile naming in Web3. While it overlaps with ENS in identity standards, it focuses on social graph portability rather than multi-chain wallet resolution.
- Quadrata: Quadrata provides onchain identity and compliance attestations that complement or compete with ENS-based identity, particularly for enterprise and regulatory use cases. Both address Web3 identity, but Quadrata focuses on verifiable credentials rather than naming.
- Farcaster: Farcaster is a decentralized social protocol that uses ENS subnames (farcaster.eth) for user identity. While ENS underpins Farcaster's naming, Farcaster's social-graph-native identity model partially competes with ENS's role as the default identity layer for Web3.
Direct peers
- Space ID: Space ID is a multi-chain naming service offering .bnb, .arb, and other top-level domains across BNB Chain and other ecosystems. It directly competes with ENS for naming standardization in non-Ethereum L1/L2 environments and shares the same use cases around wallet resolution and Web3 identity.
- Unstoppable Domains: Unstoppable Domains is the closest direct competitor to ENS, offering blockchain-based human-readable names that map to crypto addresses and serve as Web3 identities. Both compete for the same user segment (crypto wallet holders and Web3 users) with similar value propositions centered on replacing hex addresses.
- Bonfida (Solana Name Service): Bonfida operates the Solana Name Service (.sol), the primary naming protocol on Solana. It directly competes with ENS for cross-chain wallet identity users who interact with Solana-based wallets, exchanges, and dApps, addressing the same human-readable address problem.
Broad incumbents
- Coinbase / Base: Coinbase is a major ENS integration partner (Coinbase Wallet, Basenames) and a broad incumbent in crypto infrastructure. While ENS powers Basenames, Coinbase's broader platform strategy and Base L2 represent a BROAD_INCUMBENT position that could potentially substitute or absorb naming functionality over time.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ethereum Name Service social profiles
Digital presenceEthereum Name Service financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ethereum Name Service leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Ethereum Name Service funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ethereum Name Service M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ethereum Name Service
What does Ethereum Name Service do?
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a decentralized naming protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain that maps human-readable names (e.g., name.eth) to machine-readable identifiers such as cryptocurrency wallet addresses, content hashes, smart contracts, and metadata. The protocol operates across 100+ chains including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and XRP, while being secured by Ethereum. ENS offers a self-serve app for name registration and management, a developer explorer, and is governed by the ENS DAO using the $ENS governance token.
Is Ethereum Name Service a public or private company?
Ethereum Name Service is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ethereum Name Service founded?
Ethereum Name Service was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ethereum Name Service based?
Ethereum Name Service is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Ethereum Name Service make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Name Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are name Renewal Fees and ENS Token ($ENS).
Who are Ethereum Name Service's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Handshake, Worldcoin / World ID, Verida, Lens Protocol, Quadrata and Farcaster. Direct peers are Space ID, Unstoppable Domains and Bonfida (Solana Name Service). Coinbase / Base is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ethereum Name Service have an API?
Yes. ENS provides developer resources including CCIP Read (EIP-3668) for cross-chain interoperability enabling contracts to retrieve external data via offchain lookups, and the Unruggable Gateway for fetching state proofs of data across EVM chains using CCIP-Read. The ENS protocol also supports the Universal Resolver for name resolution across chains. Developer documentation is at docs.ens.domains.
What industry is Ethereum Name Service in?
Ethereum Name Service's product category is Decentralized Identity Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAKAH, Cross-Chain Identity & Naming (multi-chain DID, ENS cross-chain resolution), with a secondary code of FSAPABAK, Account Abstraction & Smart Wallet Tooling (AA SDKs, paymasters, session keys). Its NAICS code is 5232 and its SIC code is 6221.