Ethereum Name Service

ENS, or the Ethereum Name Service, is a decentralized naming system that turns long, unreadable blockchain addresses into human-friendly names like yourname.eth. It sits on the Ethereum blockchain and uses smart contracts to register and resolve names. Think of it as DNS for the new internet, but without a central gatekeeper. When you register a name you gain a record on the chain that points to wallet addresses, content hashes, and other metadata. You can link a name to an Ethereum account so people can send funds to yourname.eth instead of a long hex string. You can also point a name to content stored on decentralized storage so that a readable address brings up files without relying on one server. Names are minted as unique tokens under the ERC721 standard, so ownership is recorded on the ledger and can be transferred or sold like any other NFT. Because resolution happens through smart contracts, the system is censorship resistant and survives attempts by any single authority to erase or seize names. Subdomains are yours to create when you own a primary name, which lets you carve out donate.yourname.eth or blog.yourname.eth and delegate them as you choose. Registering a name typically means connecting a wallet, checking if the desired name is available, and then calling the registration contract to claim it for a period of time. The network requires you to authorize this transaction with your wallet and to cover the blockchain fees with the network’s native token. Once confirmed, the name is yours and you can edit its records through the same contract. ENS solves a core usability problem in Web3 by replacing error-prone addresses with memorable names, and it does so without trusting a central operator. Adoption has grown rapidly, which makes ENS names more familiar and more useful for identity, payments, and content addressing. The system is both practical and a little mystical. It tears down the old address book with a clean, clinical strike and then offers a quiet altar where identity can be held securely. For newcomers, the takeaway is simple. An ENS name makes crypto easier to use, harder to censor, and fully owned by whoever controls the private key.