ENS name
- Pro: easy to remember and check by eye
- Pro: one name for different networks and apps
- Con: needs renewing, or someone else will take the name
- Con: look-alike names with a typo exist
Ethereum › ENS (Ethereum Name Service) — a .eth name instead of an address
Ethereum
ENS (Ethereum Name Service) — a .eth name instead of an address
Ethereum Name Service · also: ENS, .eth name, .eth domain, Ethereum Name Service
ENS gives your wallet a short name like alice.eth instead of a long address. How it works, how it differs from a web domain and why you renew it.
ENS in plain words
An address on the Ethereum network is a 42-character string like "0x…", easy to copy with a mistake and hard to read out loud. ENS lets you set up a name such as alice.eth and link it to such an address, and this name is often called a .eth domain. At its core, each .eth name is an NFT, a record in the blockchain (the network's shared record, kept by thousands of computers) showing that the name belongs to you (what is an NFT).
It works like a contact in your phone. You look up "Alice" in the list, and the phone fills in her number by itself. In the same way you type alice.eth, and the wallet fills in the right address.
You can't buy a name forever: you take it for a term and then renew it. How to make a transfer safely is covered in how to send crypto.
Objective data
Objective data
ClassNFT, that is, a unique record that you own the name
What it isa name like alice.eth in place of a "0x…" address
NetworkEthereum; addresses on other networks can be linked to the name too
Where it workswallets, exchanges and apps that support ENS; in most browsers a website won't open at the name
Ownershiprented for a term and renewed; there is no permanent ownership
LaunchMay 2017
Who sets the rulesENS token holders, by vote; you don't need this token to own a name
What fora short name in place of a long address
Deeper
How ENS works
How long an ENS name lasts and what happens if you don't renew it
- Registration runs for a term you choose, from 28 days, with no upper limit1. You pay for registration in cryptocurrency, plus the network fee, that is, the payment for having the record written to the blockchain. The shorter the name, the more it costs. where to check: ens.domains
- You can renew a name at any moment and for any length of time. If you renew after the term has ended, the new term still counts from the old date2.
- Once the term ends, you have at least 28 days to renew the name, and nobody else can take it during that time. The name itself may stop leading to your address right away, though, and wallets will not find where to send money3.
- For the next 21 days anyone can register the name, but on top of the usual price they pay a surcharge that shrinks every day and reaches zero by the end2.
- After that the name is free again, anyone can register it at the usual price, and it no longer links to your address.
So renew a name you use well before it runs out. Money sent to it after it passes to a new owner will go to that owner.
How to make apps show your name
For people to send you crypto at alice.eth, the name has to lead to your address. For wallets and apps to show alice.eth instead of the long "0x…", choose this name as your main one (primary name) in the ENS settings. Without it, sending to your name still works, but apps will show a bare address. One address can have only one primary name on each network, though you can own as many names as you like4.
What you can link to an ENS name
A single ENS name can carry several things at once.
- Addresses on different networks, for example a bitcoin address, if your wallet supports it.
- A profile with an avatar, social media handles and an email.
- A link to your website (it does not open in every browser).
- Subnames like pay.alice.eth for yourself, your family or your team.
How an ENS name differs from a plain address and a website domain
| ENS name | 0x… address | Website domain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy to remember and read out? | yes | no | yes |
| Can you send crypto to it? | yes | yes | no |
| Opens in an ordinary browser? | no1 | no | yes |
| Needs renewing? | yes | no | yes |
| Can a middleman block or take it? | no3 | no | varies2 |
| Protects against a typo by itself? | no | no | no |
Pros and cons of an ENS name, a plain address and a website domain
"0x…" address
- Pro: nothing to renew
- Pro: works in any wallet on its network
- Con: hard to check by eye
- Con: a mistaken transfer can't be undone
Website domain
- Pro: opens in any browser
- Pro: familiar to everyone who uses the internet
- Con: depends on the registrar and its rules
- Con: not suitable for sending money
What people often mix up about ENS
Scammers register look-alike names that differ from real ones by a single letter. Before sending, always check which address a name is linked to; how to spot this kind of trick is explained in phishing and scams.
Where to check current details of an ENS name
Look up a name's expiry date, the address linked to it, and registration and renewal prices on the official site.
where to check: ens.domains
More detail on how ENS is built and its versions
ENS consists of several parts. The registry is a shared table in the blockchain that records which name belongs to whom. The resolver is a "translator" that returns the linked address and other records for a name. The .eth registrar is the part through which a name is registered for a period and renewed. The ENS app is a convenient storefront, but the protocol works without it, so you can manage your name from different wallets. The address record leads from the name to the address, and the primary name is the reverse record, from the address to the name.
The rules and prices are set by holders of the ENS token through voting, in what is called the ENS DAO (what is a token).
The grace period depends on the ENS version. For names on the new version, ENSv2, it lasts 28 days, and the name stops leading to the address as soon as the term ends. For names still on the older ENSv1, it lasts 90 days, and the name keeps working during that time. During the grace period anyone can renew the name and you stay the owner, but the name cannot be transferred to someone else until it is renewed3.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a .eth domain cost?
The price depends on the length of the name and the rental term, and you pay it in cryptocurrency. See current prices.
where to check: ens.domains
Are an ENS name and the ENS token the same thing?
No. A .eth name is your record of owning the name, while the ENS token is for voting. You can have a name without holding this token.
Can a .eth name be opened in an ordinary browser?
In most browsers a .eth name won't open as a website by itself. That takes special extensions or gateways, meaning go-between websites, while the Brave browser can open such names on its own5.
What happens if I don't renew my name?
Wallets may stop finding your address by it right away. For at least 28 more days the name stays yours and can be renewed, and after that it goes to whoever registers it first. The step-by-step timing is in the section on how long a name lasts.
What is a subname?
It is a name inside yours, for example pay.alice.eth inside alice.eth. The owner of the main name can take a subname back, so someone else's subname is only as reliable as its owner ⚖️.
Sources
They back the facts above. Changing figures aren't published — for those we link to "where to check".
1How to register support.ens.domains ↩Verified 20.10.2026 · primary source
2Name lifecycle support.ens.domains ↩Verified 20.10.2026 · primary source
3Expiry & grace period support.ens.domains ↩Verified 01.11.2026 · primary source
4Set your ENS primary name on Ethereum and Layer 2 networks support.ens.domains ↩Verified 20.10.2026 · primary source
