ENS DAO Newsletter #55 — 02/27/2024

ENS DAO Newsletter #55 - 2/27/2024

:sunny: Welcome!

Welcome to the ENS DAO Newsletter:

:newspaper: Newsletter Roundup (tl;dr)

  • ENS Labs Update: ETHDenver, Revamped Tech Docs, ENSIP Draft
  • Community Updates: Uni.eth subnames, Fluidkey Releases Privacy Preserving Feature
  • Meta-Governance: Budget Discussion, EP5.3 results
  • Ecosystem: Service Provider Update from Wildcard Labs
  • Public Goods: Giveth Prepares QF Round

:spiral_calendar: Calendar

Refer to ENS DAO Calendar for ENS DAO working group calls and other events.

:ballot_box: Recent Proposals

The Term 5 Dashboard, managed by the Meta-Governance Working Group, provides updated summaries of DAO governance and initiatives. Regularly check it for the latest developments.

Proposal Discussion Vote
[EP5.1] [Executable] Upgrade DNSSEC support Open Executed
[EP5.2] [Executable] Commence Streams for Service Providers Open Executed
[EP5.3] [Social] Determine ENS Labs’ next steps in eth.link litigation Open Passed

Note: A minimum of 100k $ENS is required to submit executable proposals. Once a proposal gains momentum, the stewards will prioritize it for a vote during the designated voting window. See our Governance Docs for more information. To view the real-time distribution of voting power among delegates, visit votingpower.xyz.

:cyclone: ENS Labs Updates

:chart_with_upwards_trend: ENS Stats: January 2024

In January 2024, the ENS Protocol registered 39.8k new .eth domains, bringing the total to 2.1 million. The protocol generated revenue of $1.3 million during this period, all of which was allocated to the ENS DAO. The number of Ethereum account holders with at least one ENS name increased by 33.9k, totaling 818k. There were 31.7k primary ENS names set, making the overall count 737k. Additionally, 8k new avatar records were created, reaching a cumulative total of 149k.

Join ENS Labs as Technical Content Writer

ENS Labs has announced a job opening for a Technical Content Writer. The position, which is open to remote candidates, calls for an individual who can effectively simplify complex technical concepts for a diverse audience. The role involves creating accessible, impactful resources that will serve the global community, covering a spectrum from technical specifications to blogs.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Managing a wide range of technical documentation and ensuring adherence to industry best practices.
  • Demonstrating exceptional technical writing skills through an impressive portfolio.
  • Developing a variety of community content, from interactive guides to blogs, with a focus on usability for developers.
  • Utilizing knowledge of programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Solidity to create accurate and engaging content.
  • Operating proficiently with technical writing tools and popular content management systems.

Ideal applicants should have:

  • A minimum of 4 years experience authoring, managing and maintaining technical documentation experiences, preferably within a tech or software development context.
  • Strong time-management skills, capable of juggling multiple projects in a dynamic, fully remote environment.
  • A keen understanding of, or experience with, Web3, decentralized systems, or blockchain technology.

ENS Labs emphasizes the importance of this role in shaping how users interact with the New Internet, indicating a dynamic and influential work environment for the prospective candidate. Qualified individuals may apply here. — 01.30.24

ENS x GoDaddy Marketing Stats

The Director of Marketing at ENS, Sadaf.eth, shared the first week’s statistics following the announcement of GoDaddy’s partnership with ENS on February 5th: — 02.13.24

  • Mentioned in 166 publications
  • Approximately 4.62 million impressions
  • Approximately 41.2 thousand engagements

ENS Labs at Ethereum Denver

ENS Labs will be present at this year’s Ethereum Denver hackathon. They have announced several activations, as listed below: — 02.14.24

Nick.eth Announced as a Keynote Speaker at the Oxford Blockchain Conference

The Oxford Blockchain Society has announced Nick Johnson, as a keynote speaker for the upcoming 2024 Oxford Blockchain Conference scheduled for March 12-13. Attendees interested in the conference can acquire tickets here. — 02.14.24

ENS Labs Revamps Their Developer Documentation

ENS Labs announced an extensive update to the ENS Developer Documentation. The update features a complete rewrite, enhanced design, and interactive code examples, including sandboxes for hands-on experience. Builders interested to build on ENS are encouraged to explore the new documentation to learn about writing their own resolvers, interacting with ENS smart contracts, building offchain name infrastructure, and more. Start exploring the documentation now. — 02.20.24

Uniswap Releases Uni.eth Subnames on Mobile App

ENS Labs announced that Uniswap, a platform for trading and automated liquidity provision on Ethereum, has now made uni.eth subnames available to all of its mobile app users. The uni.eth username functions as an easy-to-remember handle that simplifies the process of receiving cryptocurrency and developing one’s web3 identity. Claiming a uni.eth username is a straightforward and cost-free process. Users can claim their unique subnames through the Uniswap mobile app, select their preferred username, and personalize their profiles with an avatar, biography, and social media links. — 02.22.24

NFTUK to Host Event Featuring Guest Speakers from ENS Labs

Eskender Abebe, Head of Product and Strategy at ENS Labs, is slated to speak at an NFTUK event in London on March 14th titled Voyage Waypoint: The Road to Dencun. NFTUK has partnered with LineaBuild from Consensys for this event and has expressed excitement about their lineup of speakers. Details about the event and ticket information are available here. — 02.23.24

:globe_with_meridians: ENS Media Alerts

:busts_in_silhouette: Community Updates

Slobo.eth: “ENS Makes Block Explorers Better”

Slobo.eth, an ENS DAO Ecosystem steward, wrote about how ENS enhances blockchain explorers. They highlight why its integration with ENS is important, providing features like the direct display of ENS text records, which link additional information to ENS names.

The thread demonstrates how, when ENS subnames such as slobo.namestone.eth (powered by Namestone, a trusted subname provider) are searched on Etherscan, they reveal the Ethereum address, the off-chain resolver, and text records such as email and website. It also includes educational links about relevant Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). — 02.13.24

Onthis’ New Feature Allows for Cross-Chain Enabled Shortcuts

Onthis revealed a new feature: USDC-enabled Shortcuts. This permits cross-chain transfers of USDC and ETH through its paths, denoted in .eth subnames. Users can now bridge USDC to various platforms, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, using the respective listed on their site.

The implementation of these shortcuts is made possible by integrating the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) from Chainlink. More USDC-enabled Shortcuts are expected to be introduced soon. — 02.13.24

Onchain Payment Solution Displays ENS Names

Loopcrypto, an onchain payment solution, announced the integration of a new feature utilizing the viem library to render ENS domain names within their company dashboard. This feature improves the user experience for verifying crypto payments. Loopcrpyto’s service allows ENS DAO to schedule payments to its contributors, thereby streamlining their operations and avoiding manual transactions each month. — 02.15.24

Fluidkey Announces New Privacy Preserving Feature

Fluidkey has announced a new feature that enhances privacy for users who manually juggle multiple addresses for privacy reasons. This feature allows users to receive and manage funds onchain without the transactions being publicly linked to their primary address.

They achieve this by providing an ENS that generates a new self-custodial address each time it is accessed. As a result, each incoming transaction is isolated and cannot be associated with the user’s public address. This allows the handling of funds to remain private while still using the same ENS name. — 02.21.24

Podcast Collecting Platform Launches Leaderboard

CollectPods has launched a new feature on their platform: an all-time leaderboard for podcasts, integrating ENS to enhance human readability. This update allows listeners to engage in a competitive ranking system, enables creators to identify their most dedicated fans, and permits anyone to export the leaderboard for various incentives. CollectPods encourages users to mint their favorite podcasts, promoting active participation and fandom in the podcast community. The leaderboard benefits users by fostering a more interactive and rewarding listening experience. — 02.21.24

ENScriptions: Experiments with L1 Subname Storage

ENScriptions is experimenting with a new approach to storing ENS subnames on Ethereum. Normally, subnames are stored offchain. However, they are now exploring the creation and storage of ENS subnames and records using inscriptions directly on L1 Ethereum. To learn how this works, visit their FAQ and mint your enscription for a live demo. — 02.23.24

DNS Lookup Now Available for Imported Names on Etherscan

Etherscan has introduced a new feature that integrates traditional DNS names with ENS. This new DNS Lookup tool allows users to search for DNS names that have been imported into ENS directly on the Domain Name Lookup page of Etherscan. This functionality represents a bridging of web2 and web3 technologies, facilitating users to locate and manage domain names within the ENS ecosystem. — 02.23.24

XMTP Announces Web3 General Store at ETHDenver

XMTP, the communication protocol for web3, has announced a collaboration with ENS, Polygon, Linea, and Base to support builders at ETHDenver. They have created a web3 General Store to provide resources for developers. Those interested are encouraged to direct message TheGeneralStore.eth to access testnet funds, storage solutions, POAPs, social handles, and other essential tools for development. — 02.24.24

ENS DAO Sponsors Giveth’s Upcoming Public Goods Funding Round

Giveth’s Builders Quadratic Funding Round, sponsored by the ENS DAO Public Goods Working Group is an upcoming funding initiative designed to support grassroots developers and small projects with a notable impact in their fields. This experimental round features a matching pool of $10,000 provided by Optimism, aiming to provide funds to small teams or individuals working on public goods projects with a demonstrated track record of success. To be eligible for funding, projects must be focused on building a public good and must be verified on Giveth, with a team size limited to no more than five people.

To apply follow these steps:

  1. Create Your Project on Giveth: Begin by setting up your project on the Giveth platform. You can do this by visiting Create Your Giveth Project.
  2. Apply for Verification: Once your project is created, you need to apply for verification to confirm that your project is indeed providing a public good. This is a crucial step to qualify for the funding round. Apply for verification at Apply for Verification.
  3. Provide Additional Information: After your project is verified, you are required to submit more detailed information about your work and team. This is done through a Typeform. Complete this step at ENS Builders Typeform.
  4. Review Complete Information: Before finalizing your application, it’s important to review all the guidelines and requirements for the ENS DAO x Giveth Builder’s QF Round. You can find the complete information and guidelines at ENS DAO x Giveth Builder’s QF Round Guide.

The deadline for applications is set for March 15th, and interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. — 02.26.24

ENS DAO Stewards at ETH Denver

The ENS DAO stewards, including 184.eth, slobo.eth, coltron.eth, 5pence.eth, estmcmxci.eth, and limes.eth, will be present at ETHDenver this year. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet these stewards in person and collect special POAPs (Proof of Attendance Protocols).

These POAPs are not just any ordinary collectibles; they are beautifully crafted by the POAP artist aexek.eth, whose work can be followed on Warpcast. Besides the individual POAPs from each of the ENS DAO stewards, there will also be a general attendance POAP available for minting at the ENS DAO social event. Spend some time and engage with key figures of the ENS DAO to secure these unique digital tokens. — 02.26.24

:pushpin: Working Group Bulletin

Term 5 Lead Working Group Stewards + Secretary Appointment

Appointments:

The responsibilities of the Lead Stewards & Secretary are set out in Rule 9.8 and Rule 9.9 of the Working Group Rules.

ENS DAO Working Group Schedule (2024):

Working Group Time Schedule Location
:balance_scale: Meta-Governance 2pm UTC Tuesday Google Meet
:seedling: Ecosystem 5pm UTC Thursday Google Meet
:high_brightness: Public Goods 6pm UTC Thursday Google Meet

:balance_scale: Meta-Governance

The Meta-Governance Working Group provides governance oversight and support for working group operations through DAO tooling and governance initiatives.

Meeting Minutes:

Meeting Info:

Term 5 Meta-Governance Stewards:

ENS DAO on Farcaster

ENS DAO announced its official account on Warpcast, which is a Farcaster client. Farcaster is a sufficiently decentralized social network, built on Ethereum, that functions as a public platform similar to Twitter and Reddit. Updates on DAO Governance and other relevant developments will be regularly broadcast here. Follow ENS DAO on Warpcast now. — 01.30.24

Endowment Updates

As of February 13th, 2024, the endowment’s is valued at $80.4 million, primarily due to an increase in the market price of Ethereum (ETH), which constitutes 78% of the endowment’s composition. The capital utilization rate stands at 99.95% with a current annual percentage rate (APR) of 3.87%. @Karpatkey also expressed interest in exploring special investment opportunities and is considering the introduction of Zodiac Roles Modifier v2 for endowment management.

The following week, on February 20th, the endowment experienced further growth, reaching $87.3 million. This increase was again attributed to the appreciation of ETH, which now represents 79.8% of the endowment. The capital utilization slightly increased to 99.93%, and the APR rose to 4.16%. Testing for Zodiac Roles Modifier v2 is ongoing. — 02.20.24

Working Group Budget Discussion

All three ENS DAO Working Groups have posted their budgets for the first half of 2024 on the Governance Forum. Subsequent funding requests are expected to be published in March. Notably, the Ecosystem group has opted not to request funds at this time. Key actions include preparing the budget for inclusion in a social proposal for the March Voting Period and arranging the transfer of funds to a multi-signature wallet before the end of March. Links to detailed budget documents for the Working Groups have been provided for consideration — 02.20.24

Working Group Budgets:

ENS Labs asks the DAO to Instruct its Next Steps in eth.link Litigation

ENS Labs addressed the future course of action regarding the eth.link litigation. Discussion on EP5.3 focused on determining ENS Labs’ subsequent steps in the legal process. The vote for this proposal has now concluded (results are available on Snapshot). — 02.25.24

:seedling: Ecosystem

The Ecosystem Working Group strengthens the ENS Protocol by facilitating developer relations, identifying and funding high-potential projects that enhance ENS, and bolstering support for ENS-aligned initiatives overall.

Meeting Minutes:

Meeting Info:

Term 5 Ecosystem Stewards:

Core Updates from ENS Labs

A new ENSIP Draft has been published, focusing on the next iteration of DNSSEC contracts. The draft, titled “Gasless DNS resolution,” is open for community feedback. It outlines the formatting for gasless DNSSEC TXT records, the operation of the resolution process, and introduces a public API for the CCIP-Read DNSSEC gateway.

Additionally, there has been a significant technical update to the ENS Manager App. This update involves a complete rewrite of the technology, which aims to deliver a faster and more responsive user experience. While end-users may not notice many differences, the update is expected to make the app quicker and facilitate more efficient iterations by the development team. This revamp also addresses the clean-up of accumulated technical debt, ensuring a more streamlined and maintainable codebase going forward. — 02.15.24

Open Discussion: ENS Chain

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) community is engaging in discussions about the potential development of an ENS-specific Layer 2 (L2) chain. This follows a Coin Telegraph article prompting dialogue on the topic. Key points from the conversation include:

  • A proposal for an ENS Chain from @clowes.eth has been articulated in an article and a forum post titled “ENS Chain” - A Proof of Concept for an Optimistic Rollup based L2 solution.
  • Questions have been raised by @limes about the infrastructure needs and costs associated with such a venture.
  • The scale of ENS and its comparison to DNS has been brought up by @clowes.eth, emphasizing the need for efficient management if ENS grows substantially.
  • There are still technical hurdles to address, such as decentralized sequencing, to prevent creating bottlenecks, as mentioned by @premm.eth.
  • @slobo.eth has inquired about a catalog of pros and cons and the unknowns in this endeavor.
  • Documentation and in-depth analysis are planned, aiming to present the information in an accessible format for community input, as stated by @clowes.eth.
  • It is noted that the project is in the early stages of research, with many aspects yet to be thought through.
  • The primary goal, as highlighted by @clowes.eth, is to find the best long-term solution for ENS, which is not immediately clear.
  • @slobo.eth points out that there is a dedicated team researching this, with other teams also involved.

The community is being encouraged to contribute to the discussion and stay informed on the development of the proposal. — 02.15.24

Open Discussion: ENS x OP

The ENS community is considering a proposal to integrate with the Optimism network, following an RFP for development initiatives within the Optimism ecosystem. The proposal, aimed at scaling ENS to work on Optimism, has been highlighted a priority by OP delegates and is currently up for a vote. The deadline for application submissions is set for February 21, 2024. Follow @limes instruction to proceed with submitting an application. — 02.15.24

Open Discussion: EIP-5559

The ENS community is actively discussing EIP-5559, known as the “Off-Chain Data Write Protocol.” The current draft, which is the fifth iteration, outlines a cross-chain write deferral protocol that aims to incorporate secure write deferrals to generic Layer 1 blockchains, Ethereum Layer 2 solutions, centralized databases, and decentralized mutable storage systems. Community members are currently reviewing the draft, focusing on edge cases, and are encouraged to ask questions in the related forum thread.

There’s a conversation about the involvement of partners like Coinbase and Uniswap in setting standards. The consensus is that input is being gathered behind the scenes to ensure that standards are not dictated by a single large organization but are instead built to benefit the entire ecosystem. — 02.22.24

Open Discussion: Enhancing the ENS API

@gregskril presented a personal project that adds a Cloudflare Worker to enhance the ENS API, as indicated by Pull Request #3 on the GitHub repository gskril/ens-api. This API aims to provide standalone services, including optimizations for avatar images and batch resolution of ENS names, which would simplify resolving multiple names on a single page, such as a leaderboard.

The project also addresses issues with avatar file sizes; the proxy tool included is designed to resize images and remove any potentially malicious data. The ENS community is invited to follow the project’s progress and reach out if they find the tools useful. There’s a suggestion from @lightwalker.eth for stronger caching of ENS avatars beyond the current service capabilities. — 02.22.24

Service Provider Updates

Wildcard Labs

Sharon and Steve from Wildcard Labs are addressing the issue of high costs associated with manual updates to ENS avatars. They have developed an application that allows ENS users to automatically synchronize their social media profiles with their ENS avatar records. This app provides the advantages of saving time and costs, particularly by eliminating the need for gas fees typically required for manual updates. Visit their website to try out their new feature. WildCard Labs plans to demo other projects in the following weeks, indicating ongoing development efforts to streamline user interaction with ENS services. — 02.22.24

:sunny: Public Goods

The Public Goods Working Group supports the greater Ethereum ecosystem by identfying and funding open-source development.

Meeting Minutes:

Meeting Info:

Term 5 Public Goods Stewards:

Giveth PGF Round

Giveth and the Public Goods Working Group are in the process of finalizing their collaborative efforts, with a planned kickoff slated for March, likely around mid-month. They are organizing several Twitter Spaces for open discussions about the project. The wrap-up of these sessions is expected a few weeks following the initial kickoff. Additional information regarding this collaboration will be made available to the public shortly. This partnership is part of ongoing initiatives to foster dialogue and development for open-source projects receiving retroactive funding. — 02.15.24

ETHCanal Presents Latest Initiative

Steven Clarke from EthCanal presented an initiative focusing on leveraging Panama’s position as the largest country without a central bank to foster innovation. The project aims to help organizations in Panama incorporate modern technologies in a unique economic environment. A significant aspect of this initiative is to facilitate every Panamanian citizen in obtaining an ENS subdomain, enhancing digital identity and accessibility.

The group is seeking a collaboration with the Public Goods Working Group. They highlighted the engagement from previous events, noting that ETHPanama had 300 participants and a hackathon with 45 participants last year, demonstrating a strong interest in blockchain technology in the region. Eduardo, a Public Goods steward, has committed to a follow-up after the call to provide further answers and information on the project’s progress. — 02.22.24

:memo: Resources

ENS DAO offers several resources for understanding and participating in its ecosystem.

  • ENS DAO Basics: Details the ENS DAO, including voting and governance.
  • Support Docs: Provides guidance on registration, renewals, and development aspects.
  • Governance Docs: Offers additional insights into governance structure.
  • ENS Agora: Governance hub for proposal review and voting.
  • Give Feedback: Feedback platform where users share input to improve ENS.
  • ENS Repository: The ENS Protocol’s main Github Repository.

Thank you very much for reading! Goodbye. :wave:t2:

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