Ethereum Name Service (ENS) stands out as one of the most elegant and beautiful designs I’ve encountered in Web3. It’s essentially a parallel world to the Domain Name System (DNS) - the backbone of Web2 that resolves domain names into IP addresses to make the internet function seamlessly.
What makes ENS unique is its flexibility in how resolution results are handled. While ENS has its native resolution system, it also supports integration with DNS using Oracles or centralized solutions using CCIP. This adaptability bridges the gap between Web2 and Web3, creating opportunities for new applications.
However, ENS’s main challenge lies in its deployment on the Ethereum blockchain. This results in high transaction costs. Thankfully, they are already working on a new version that leverages Layer 2 (L2) networks to make transactions more affordable.
From an end-user perspective, ENS is straightforward to use, offering a similar experience to DNS. Its backward compatibility ensures that system administrators can stick to familiar workflows while benefiting from ENS’s added functionalities.
The key difference between ENS and DNS lies in what they resolve. While DNS maps domain names to IP addresses, ENS resolves names to crypto wallet addresses. But ENS doesn’t stop there - it supports additional text fields, enabling connections to Discord, Twitter, email, or other custom identifiers. This opens up endless possibilities for flexibility and integration.
At Arnacon, we use ENS to allow ENS domain owners to register their identities on our network for seamless voice calls. It’s an exciting use case that demonstrates the power of ENS in enhancing connectivity and decentralization in Web3.
We are looking forward here to the ENS v2.
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