Ethereum Name Service (ENS)
A naming system that maps human-readable names like alice.eth to wallet addresses and other on-chain records.
Wallet addresses are long hexadecimal strings that are easy to mistype. ENS replaces them with names ending in .eth. Send funds to vitalik.eth and ENS resolves it to the right address. A name is itself an NFT, owned and tradable like any other, and it can point to a website or store other records like an avatar.
Names are registered for an annual fee and must be renewed, or they expire and return to the market. ENS is governed by a DAO and its token, ENS. The system has become the closest thing crypto has to a username standard, used across wallets and apps.
Related terms
A short string of letters and numbers that identifies where crypto can be sent on a blockchain.
NFT (Non-Fungible Token)A blockchain token that represents ownership of a unique item, where no two units are interchangeable.
WalletA tool that stores the keys controlling your crypto and lets you send, receive, and sign transactions.
DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)An organization governed by token holders voting on-chain, where rules and treasury live in smart contracts instead of a boardroom.