Ethereum Name Service (ENS)
Naming protocol on Ethereum that maps readable .eth names to wallet addresses, sites and profiles.
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ENS key facts
| Category | Web3 domain service |
|---|---|
| Chains | Ethereum, with names resolvable across many chains and apps |
| Platforms | Web |
| Custody | Self-custody |
| Pricing | 5+ characters: $5 in ETH per year; 4 characters: $160; 3 characters: $640 |
| Fees | Annual renewal; 90-day grace period after expiry, then a premium that falls over 21 days |
| US availability | Available: terms restrict only sanctioned jurisdictions |
| Free plan | No free .eth names; gasless DNS import of your own domain needs no gas or transaction |
ENS token
- Price
- $4.45 +1.2% 24h
- Market cap
- $188.5M
- Fully diluted value
- $445.4M
- 30-day change
- -29.6%
Market data: CoinGecko, updated Nov 10, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
What is ENS?
ENS (Ethereum Name Service) is an on-chain naming system that lets a readable name such as name.eth stand in for a wallet address. Names are rented per year: 5+ character names cost $5 in ETH per year, 4 characters $160 and 3 characters $640. An expired name has a 90-day grace period before release. The homepage lists over 35 million registered names.
How ENS works
Registering a .eth name takes two transactions to stop front-running.
First a commit, a 0 ETH transaction that records a hash of the name you want and stores a secret in your browser. After a 60-second wait you send the register transaction, pay the fee and receive the name as an NFT. You have 24 hours after the commit confirms to finish, and the name is not reserved during that window.
The name points to records held in a resolver: your ETH address, addresses on other chains, an avatar and a decentralized website. A primary name makes apps show yourname.eth instead of the 0x address. After expiry a name enters a 90-day grace period in which only renewal is possible, then a 21-day temporary premium that starts at $100 million and decays to $0.
How to start with ENS
- You need a wallet holding ETH on Ethereum mainnet.
- ETH on Base, Arbitrum or other networks will not work for .eth registration.
- Go to app.ens.domains, search a name, choose years or a specific expiry date, and optionally set it as your primary name and fill in profile records during the same flow.
- Registration takes about 3 minutes.
- Do not speed up or replace the commit transaction, and do not clear your browser cache before the second step, or the registration gets stuck.
ENS fees and limits
- The annual fee is $5 for 5+ characters, $160 for 4 and $640 for 3, charged in ETH at the current rate.
- Gas is extra; the ENS App adds about 10% extra ETH to cover gas spikes and returns what is unused in the same transaction.
1- and 2-character .eth names cannot be registered. Renewal uses the same table, and anyone can renew any name without changing ownership. ENS sets no fees for subnames, which are priced by whoever issues them.
Risks to know before using ENS
- A name that lapses past the 90-day grace period can be registered by anyone once the premium falls, and the previous owner has no priority.
- Renewing during grace adds time from the original expiry date, not from today.
- Expiry does not touch your wallet, funds or keys, but payments sent to the name stop reaching you.
- ENS support says its only airdrop ended in May 2022 and warns against renewing or upgrading a name from a link in a message; open app.ens.domains yourself instead.
ENS usage
From DefiLlama (fees users paid), updated Nov 10, 2026.
ENS alternatives
Other projects people compare with ENS.
ICANN-accredited domain registrar and marketplace that also sells blockchain-based Web3 domains.
Name service on Base that maps readable .base.eth names to wallet addresses, built on the ENS protocol.
Name service on Solana that maps .sol names to wallet addresses and profiles.
Registrar for Web3 domains and custom Web3 top-level domains, with royalties for TLD owners.
Multi-chain Web3 name service that issues .bnb and .arb names and lets communities launch their own TLDs.
Where ENS ranks on DappAtlas
Listed next to ENS
- World ID Web3 identity
- Human Passport Web3 identity
- Galxe Crypto earn app
- Privy Developer infrastructure
- MetaMask Embedded Wallets Developer infrastructure
ENS pros and cons
- 5+ character .eth names cost $5 in ETH per year
- 90-day grace period after expiry before a name is released
- No maximum registration length, so you can prepay many years
- Names must be renewed; a lapsed name can be registered by anyone
- 3 and 4 character names cost $640 and $160 per year
- Registration and renewal also cost Ethereum gas
ENS FAQ
What is ENS?
ENS (Ethereum Name Service) is an on-chain naming system that lets a readable name such as name.eth stand in for a wallet address. Names are rented per year: 5+ character names cost $5 in ETH per year, 4 characters $160 and 3 characters $640. An expired name has a 90-day grace period before release. The homepage lists over 35 million registered names.
Which chains does ENS support?
Ethereum, with names resolvable across many chains and apps.
How much does ENS cost?
Annual renewal; 90-day grace period after expiry, then a premium that falls over 21 days, according to ENS’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026). Free plan: No free .eth names; gasless DNS import of your own domain needs no gas or transaction.
How much do users pay ENS in fees?
$220,066 over the last 30 days, according to DefiLlama on Nov 10, 2026.
Does ENS have a token?
Yes, ENS. Its market cap was $188.5M on CoinGecko on Nov 10, 2026. Educational content, not financial advice.
Is ENS available in the US?
Available: terms restrict only sanctioned jurisdictions, according to ENS’s own page (checked Sep 26, 2026).
Does ENS hold my funds?
No. ENS is self-custody: you keep your funds in your own wallet and sign each transaction.
Sources
How this page works
Sources: ENS: official site, ENS: Docs FAQ, ENS: Terms of Use. Data as of Oct 1, 2026.
Not affiliated with any project listed. Educational content, not financial advice.