Author: ChainFeeds
ENS v2 Plan Aims to Enhance Ethereum Name Service on Layer 2
ENS Labs announced the launch of the ENS v2 plan yesterday, which aims to expand the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) to Layer 2 and reduce gas fees by migrating some core features of ENS to Layer 2. As early as 2020, the ENS team started exploring solutions to integrate ENS with Layer 2. Over the past four years, the team’s work has evolved from building standard interfaces for L2 and ENS interaction to developing their own dedicated Layer 2, sparking ongoing discussions around these solutions.
ENS has garnered attention from the community and received strong support from Vitalik Buterin. In an Ethereum developer survey, Vitalik explicitly stated that he would use ENS to manage his name on the Status application. He has previously expressed that ENS is one of the most successful non-financial applications and called for all Layer 2 solutions to focus on developing CCIP resolvers, allowing direct registration, updates, and reading of ENS subdomains on Layer 2.
Introduction to ENS
ENS is a distributed, open, and scalable naming system built on Ethereum. It aims to provide users in the Ethereum ecosystem with readable domain names for identification and interaction. It maps human-readable names (such as example.eth) to machine-readable identifiers, such as Ethereum addresses, other cryptocurrency addresses, content hashes, metadata, and more. ENS supports reverse resolution, allowing users to query relevant metadata based on a given Ethereum address.
Similar to traditional internet domain name systems, ENS allows users to map complex Ethereum addresses to easily memorable domain names. Through ENS, users can use concise domain names to receive cryptocurrency payments, access DApps, and perform other Ethereum-related operations. These domain names are owned by smart contracts of different registrars, which specify the rules for name allocation. For example, the ETH registrar is responsible for .eth domains, allowing trusted decentralized names to be issued as tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. Registration is completed through smart contracts, and name ownership is guaranteed by the Ethereum blockchain.
In addition, ENS supports subdomains, allowing domain owners to control the resolution process. For example, if Alice owns alice.eth, she can create a subdomain pay.alice.eth and configure and manage it according to her needs.
What Changes Are Introduced in ENS v2?
The ENS v2 plan not only involves migrating parts of the protocol but also entails a complete redesign of the architecture. ENS v2 will achieve the following:
1. Reduced gas fees: By migrating core functions such as registering and renewing .eth domains to Layer 2, the associated gas fees can be significantly reduced, making ENS more cost-effective and faster.
2. Introducing new architectural design: The ENS v2 plan introduces a layered registration system, where each .eth domain will have its own individual registry. This means that each .eth domain will have a separate record to store domain-related information (such as ownership transfer history) and configurations (such as subdomain creation). Users will have better control over their domain ownership, enhancing flexibility and customization.
3. Improved multi-chain interoperability: After migrating ENS to Layer 2, .eth domains will seamlessly integrate into various blockchains. Through the use of CCIP-Read Gateway (which allows Ethereum names to be read on other blockchain networks) and compatible resolvers, users’ .eth domains can achieve trustless connections between different networks.
The team is currently evaluating Layer 2 solutions and customizing L2 migration for ENS. They are also developing a phased migration plan and timeline. In the coming weeks, proposals will be submitted to the ENS DAO for funding support to facilitate the development and deployment of ENS v2 by ENS Labs.
