ENS DAO Newsletter #88 - 06/3/2025
Welcome
New editions — Bi-weekly on Tuesdays
Previous editions — Archived on the Forum
New proposals — Updates via Telegram
ENS DAO Dashboard — Available for public review
Submit your updates! — project updates wanted!
Newsletter Roundup
- ENS Labs: ENS at ETHPrague, Progress on ENSv2
- Community: Tim Berners-Lee Reflects on DNS
- Meta-Gov: Open Call Data Review
- Ecosystem: Builder Highlights
- Public Goods: Strategic Grants Update
Calendar
Refer to the official ENS DAO Calendar for meeting links and times. Any other sources are not guaranteed to be accurate. Access the ENS Calendar here.
ENS DAO Term 6 Dashboard
The ENS DAO Term 6 Dashboard is a comprehensive guide to ENS DAO’s governance and activities. It includes key resources such as the ENS DAO Constitution, meeting schedules via the ENS DAO Calendar, and updates through the bi-weekly ENS DAO Newsletter.
The dashboard outlines proposal processes, thresholds for social and executable proposals, governance environments, working group schedules, and details on Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for compensated tasks. It aims to enhance transparency, understanding, and participation within the ENS ecosystem.
ENS DAO Basics: Your Gateway to Governance
Discover how the ENS DAO works and how you can to become involved. View the official guide to ENS governance, proposals, and participation. Whether you’re new or experienced, everything you need to start is here.
→ Visit ENS DAO Basics: basics.ensdao.org
ENS Developer and Governance Resources
Awesome ENS is a curated GitHub repo collecting key ENS tools, dapps, docs, and community resources. It’s useful for anyone building with or learning about ENS—perfect starting point for devs, researchers, and DAO contributors.
Term 6 Proposals
About Proposals
Proposals are how changes are made to the DAO’s status quo. They can be submitted by anyone meeting the required $ENS thresholds and are voted on by delegates based on their token holdings. If a proposal reaches quorum and passes, it is ratified and implemented.
For detailed governance information, refer to the Governance Documentation.
Proposal Thresholds:
- 10k ENS: Required for a social proposal — an agreement of the DAO on matters that cannot be enforced onchain.
- 100k ENS: Required for an executable proposal — involves smart contract operations executed by DAO-controlled accounts.
Proposal Bulletin
The Proposal Bulletin summarizes Term 6 proposals—both onchain (executable) and offchain (social)—from January 2025 to December 2025. It covers key actions like ETH-to-USDC conversions, endowment expansions, service provider funding, and governance process improvements.
The bulletin aims to enhance transparency and keep stakeholders informed about DAO decisions Details of current proposals will be provided
Proposal Summaries:
- [6.10] [Social] Select providers for Service Provider Program Season II
- [6.11] [Executable] Collective Working Group Funding Request (April 2025)
- [6.12] [Executable] Set resolver for .ceo TLD
To view past proposals, visit Agora.
Temp Checks
Manual Issuance of Short .eth Names
A proposal suggests enabling the ENS DAO to manually register 1- and 2-character .eth domains like l2.eth and zk.eth for public infrastructure. While supporters see this as a way to secure key namespaces, others caution against potential misuse and revenue loss.
→ Full discussion: Manually issue .eth 2LDs, including 1- and 2- characters
ENS DAO Considers $5M Stake in OpenBox Inc.
A proposal invites ENS DAO to invest $5M over 5 years for 10% equity in OpenBox Inc., creators of the Open Domain Protocol (ODP). The move aims to bridge DNS and ENS, integrating ICANN gTLDs with ENS. Debate centers on DAO’s role in equity investments and governance implications.
→ Full discussion: ENS DAO Investment in OpenBox Inc
ENS DAO Debates Minting l2.eth for Chain-Specific Addresses
A proposal suggests the ENS DAO register l2.eth to support ERC-7828 interoperable addresses. While many back the move for decentralizing chain registries, some raise UX concerns over the technical naming.
→ Full discussion: l2.eth to Enable Chain-Specific Addresses
Programmatic Tooling Rewards
A new ENS forum post suggests automating rewards for contributors who build and maintain essential governance tools. The goal: establish sustainable, incentive-aligned infrastructure for ENS without relying solely on grant rounds or manual proposals.
→ Read the proposal: Programmatic Tooling Rewards
ENS Labs Updates
Q1 2025 Report
Nick Johnson is now CEO, Jeff Lau CTO. Headcount hit 28. ENSv2 and Namechain ramp up with a new Growth team driving partnerships and adoption. ENS saw .eth and subname growth, new blog content, and IRL momentum.
→ View the full report: ENS Labs Quarterly Report - Q1 2025
Q1 2025 Revenue
- ENS generated $4.94M in Q1 2025, down from $8.18M in Q1 2024
- $3.47M came from registration revenue
- $585K from premium name sales
- $887K from DeFi returns
- March 2025 closed with $1.21M in total revenue
→ View the full report: ENS Revenue Report - Q1 2025
Careers at ENS Labs
ENS Labs, the non-profit organization responsible for the core software development of the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is searching for professionals to fill the following roles:
- Integrations Engineer (Web3)
- Technical Writer
- Senior DevOps Engineer
- Smart Contract Engineer
- ZK Engineer
- Product Manager (APAC Time Zones)
→ Explore open roles: Careers at ENS Labs
ENS Talks Future of Social
ENS Head of Growth James Beck joined a Space to discuss “From Algorithms to Ownership.” The talk explored ENS’s role in decentralized identity and how it underpins a user-owned social web.
→ Listen to the discussion: From Algorithms to Ownership
ENS at ETHPrague: From Stickers to Namechain
ENS Labs was onsite at ETHPrague—sharing stickers and presenting their multichain vision. @mely.eth presented the “Evolution of ENS” introduceing Namechain, and positioning .eth as the anchor for cross-chain and DNS-integrated identity.
Tim Berners-Lee Endorses Decentralized Naming at ETHPrague
On stage with Vitalik Buterin, web inventor Tim Berners-Lee said, “If I could go back, I’d make the domain name system decentralized.” His remark served as a major endorsement of ENS and its mission to bring user-owned identity to the web.
→ Watch their full discussion: Swarm Stream
L2 Names and ENSv2 Progress
L2 primary names are coming soon—with support across Base, OP, Arbitrum, Linea, and Scroll. The Base team is aligning Basenames to be ENS-compliant. Meanwhile, ENSv2 is advancing with contract and infrastructure work, plus ENSNode integration in testing environments.
Technical Discussion
Signals Protocol Seeks Feedback
@Arnold shares a new governance concept called Signals, aiming to simplify allocation decisions with token-locking and game mechanics. A pilot with ENS is in sight, but feedback is needed to refine the idea.
→ Read more: Signals Primer
ENS Goes LLM-Native with llms.txt
Brantly.eth launches llms.txt files for ENS, EFP, SIWE & more—making the Ethereum identity stack searchable and usable by LLMs. This unlocks AI-native dev workflows for smart contracts, DAOs, and APIs.
→ Learn more: ETH Identity Kit
ENS ‘Best Practices’ Now Live via SEAL Frameworks
JustaLab is collaborating with SEAL (Security Alliance) to formalize ENS security best practices as part of broader web3 safety standards. Community input was invited—and the framework is now live:
→ Review now: ENS Best Practices
Grants Announcements
Enscribe Simplifies ENS for Smart Contracts
Enscribe received a 25K USDC and 500 ENS grant to streamline naming for smart contracts via ENS. It supports multi-network deployments and simplifies UX with bundled naming flows—enhancing ENS adoption in developer tooling.
Commons Discussion
Commons is a recurring space hosted bi-weekly for deep technical dives into ENS and open-source projects. It offers builders and protocol thinkers a place to explore new infra, review edge cases, and unpack real-world integration challenges—live and in public.
Building Startup Societies
This Commons featured Ipêcity, Yodlpay, and Justaname. The teams showcased a civic stack using ENS subnames as passports, EFP for social graphs, and Yodl’s smart wallet infra with gas sponsorship. TXT records bootstrapped modular ENS-based super apps.
Not an SEZ—this model prototypes decentralized, network-native governance infra for emerging cities. IpéCity is a pop-up startup city in Brazil focused on testing onchain coordination and civic tooling in real-world environments.
→ Learn more: Building Startup Societies
Community Updates
Newsletter Contributions
Are you integrating ENS into your stack, experimenting at the protocol level, or have a unique use you’d like to share? Consider submitting it for inclusion in the Newsletter. Share updates on projects, events, achievements, or community changes for inclusion.
→ Submit your segment: Project submissions
.box Launches Mini-App for Farcaster
.box brings domain search and multi-chain checkout to Farcaster via their first mini-app. This expands alt-naming ecosystems and signals growing demand for ENS-adjacent UX on social protocols.
Brantly.eth to Present at EthCC[8]
@brantlymillegan returns to EthCC to share how the Ethereum identity stack—anchored by ENS—has matured. His talk on the Ethereum Follow Protocol highlights how decentralized identity, names, and reputation systems are converging. Live in Cannes, June 30–July 3.
LayerZero Scan Adds ENS Support
LayerZero Scan now supports global search by ENS, alongside protocol names and tickers. This enhances ENS utility as a readable alias for transaction lookups, reinforcing its role in multi-chain identity and interoperability.
ENS Grants Power Kiwi Wallet R&D
Kiwi News reveals the ENS Ecosystem Working Group has supported their work for 2+ years through grants. Most recently, funding enabled R&D to integrate the Mobile Wallet Protocol into Kiwi’s iOS app—demonstrating ENS’s impact on real-world wallet UX.
→ Apply for a grant: Ecosystem Grants
Unruggable Reflects on ENS Grant for Dev Support
@Clowes.eth reflects on Unruggable receiving $400K via the ENS DAO Service Provider Program. His focus: developer onboarding, novel ENS integrations, and culture-building. ENS continues to empower long-term builders through strategic grants.
ENS Records Gain Developer Momentum
Yodlpay, IpêCity, and csvensson.eth highlight a rising trend: storing app config and smart contract data directly in ENS records. From webhook payloads to subdomain logic, 2025 is shaping up as the year ENS becomes a full-stack identity + data primitive.
Webhash Powers ENS Website Hosting
Webhash, a decentralized network built on Base, now hosts over 11,000+ ENS-linked sites. With 56+ nodes and 29TB+ of storage, it’s enabling a new era of permissionless, onchain-native web hosting—pushing ENS contenthash adoption into production.
ENS Labels Streamline Wallet UX
@slobo.eth showcases how ENS names like farcaster.slobo.eth simplify topping up wallets—including Solana—by enabling human-readable labels. Powered by enspro.xyz, this enhances cross-chain UX without copying long addresses.
Tim Berners-Lee Reflects on ENS and DNS
At ETHPrague, Tim Berners-Lee said he would’ve decentralized the Domain Name System if he could go back. James Beck ties this to a March FT op-ed on walled gardens, underscoring how ENS fulfills TBL’s vision for a more open, interoperable web.
Debate: Are ENS Subdomains Widely Adopted?
A lively thread debates subdomain adoption. 0xFran.eth cites poor resolution UX and squatting issues. Hid.eth and caveman.eth respond with stats, CCIP-read updates, and tools like subnames.unruggable.com for L2 deployment—showing the tech is maturing fast.
Basename Renewals Go Live on the Webapp
@katzman.base.eth shipped support for renewing Basenames—ENS-powered identities native to the Base chain. Fully onchain and human-readable, Basenames let users map addresses to names using ENS infra deployed on Base.
→ Manage yours: Basenames App
Geocities for ENS
GeoCities lets you create ENS or basename websites in one click, add avatars, banners, and records, and post onchain in X-style. You can also follow decentralized sites via EFP-linked social graphs.
→ Explore: geocities.eth.limo
ENS Knowledge Quiz: Can You Keep Up?
ENS isn’t just about domains—it’s history. Test your knowledge on Prepunk domains, blockchain naming, and the origins of ENS. 70 questions, no time limit. Ready to prove you’re a real onchain historian?
→ Take the Quiz: Here
Working Group Bulletin
Term 6 Lead Working Group Stewards + Secretary Appointment
- Meta-Governance – @5pence.eth
- Ecosystem – @slobo.eth
- Public Goods – @simona_pop
- DAO Secretary - @limes
The responsibilities of the Lead Stewards & Secretary are set out in Rule 9.8 and Rule 9.9 of the Working Group Rules.
SafeNotes: Explore DAO Transactions
SafeNotes is a public dashboard for viewing real-time ENS DAO treasury activity. It tracks outgoing payments from ENS Safe wallets—showing amounts, recipients, categories, and descriptions. Great for transparency and transaction review.
→ Review DAO Transactions: SafeNotes
Working Group Spending Report
Limes.eth released the Q1 2025 Working Group spending summary:
- Ecosystem: $268,520
- Meta-Governance: $210,400
- Public Goods: $110,030 + 14.9 ETH
→ Full report: ENS Working Group Spending Summaries
Acknowledging Recepients of the Service Provider Stream
The vote to select recepients of the Service Provider Stream, as established by EP 4.7, has now concluded. Builders are entrusted with improving the ENS system, as chosen by delegates. Become familiar with each Service Provider by visiting their builder profle:
Service Provider Profiles (Ranked):
ENS DAO Working Group Schedule (2025)
| Working Group | Time | Schedule | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
 Meta-Governance |
2pm UTC | Tuesday | Google Meet |
 Ecosystem |
3pm UTC | Thursday | Google Meet |
| Public Goods |
4pm UTC | Thursday | Google Meet |
Meta-Governance
The Meta-Governance Working Group provides governance oversight and support for working group operations through DAO tooling and governance initiatives.
Term 6 Meta-Governance Stewards:
Meeting Minutes:
- Minutes for Weekly Meta-Governance Meeting — May 20
- Minutes for Weekly Meta-Governance Meeting — May 27
Price Averaging Calculator
Built by @5pence.eth, this interactive tool lets stewards estimate their token allocation using a live 6-month average of $ENS price (Jan 1–July 1). It features real-time CoinGecko data, CSV export, role-based comp, and visual vesting schedules.
→ Explore it here: ENS Steward Token Calculator
Delegate Your $ENS Voting Power
Did you know? $ENS holders can delegate their voting power to trusted delegates to shape the future of the ENS protocol. Use ENS Agora to explore and track governance activity.
→ Learn how to manage delegation: Guide Here.
Legal Risk Alert: ENS DAO’s Exposure via Unwrapped Assets
A forum thread warns that holding tokens like Lido’s LSTs—soon to gain governance rights—could expose ENS DAO to joint liability under U.S. law. The proposed fix: divest risky assets and tighten governance.
→ Full discussion: DAO Governance Threat Identification
ENS Endowment Weekly Report
- Markets: BTC hit $111K ATH, ETH range-bound at $2.5K–$2.7K. BTC ETF inflows hit records, while Moody’s downgraded U.S. debt.
- Operations: ankrETH is being unstacked, rebalancing likely soon.
- TWAP: 4,700 ETH sold (~$11.9M); 1,300 ETH left over next 9 days.
→ View the report: Lookerstudio
Open Call Data Verification System
A new effort is underway to improve proposal validation and call data verification in the ENS DAO. The plan is to build a robust, permissionless, open-source flow—potentially using Tenderly—to ensure all proposal data is transparently verified onchain.
Proposal Call Data Review Post-Mortem
Blockful acknowledged a forum validation error in proposal review, prompting internal process updates. Nick.eth suggested automating validation using Tally drafts. This aligns with ENS’s push for a permissionless Open Call Data Verification System using Tenderly.
Ecosystem
The Ecosystem Working Group strengthens the ENS Protocol by facilitating developer relations, identifying and funding high-potential projects that enhance ENS, and supporting ENS-aligned initiatives.
Term 6 Ecosystem Stewards:
Meeting Minutes:
Term 6 ENS Ecosystem Grants Open for Applications
The Ecosystem Working Group is awarding retroactive grants to technically oriented projects that advance the ENS protocol. Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis and presented during weekly ecosystem calls. Apply via the forum.
ENS Builder Highlights
Naming Smart Contracts with ENS
ENScribe, led by @conor, lets users assign .eth names or subnames to smart contracts. New updates include primary/forward resolution, ENSNode integration, and ENS subgraph support. ENScribe earned a $25K grant from the Ecosystem working group.
Service Providers Updates
NameHash Updates ENSNode with 3DNS and Indexing Boosts
Lightwalker.eth shared a major ENSNode update (v0.27), now supporting 3DNS domains, TXT records, and improved indexing. ENS Node is merged into the ENS test environment with v0.28 in development. Terraform scripts are now available to help users deploy nodes, and a new solution is being built to index resolver values, aiming to dramatically accelerate primary name lookups across chains.
ENSIP Updates
Two Key Proposals Under Review
Two new proposals are being tracked for inclusion in future ENSIPs. The first suggests allowing the DAO to manually issue 1- and 2-character .eth names, enabling key infrastructure names like l2.eth or zk.eth to be reserved for public use. The second proposes using l2.eth as a registry for ERC-7828-compatible, chain-specific addresses—enhancing cross-chain interoperability.
Public Goods
The Public Goods Working Group supports the Ethereum ecosystem by identifying and funding open-source development.
Term 6 Public Goods Stewards:
Meeting Minutes
Term 6 Builder Grants Applications are Now Open
The ENS Builder Grants platform supports public goods projects in Ethereum and Web3. With 22 ETH granted across 19 projects, it offers milestone-based funding reviewed by Public Goods Working Group stewards.
→ Apply here: builder.ensgrants.xyz
OS Builder Highlights
Public Goods Grants $50K Each to Remix Labs and Fabric
ENS Public Goods Working Group awarded $50K USDC each to Remix Labs and Fabric. Remix, now independent from EF, is a key smart contract IDE. Fabric builds open standards for based rollups. Both grants support Ethereum’s decentralized infrastructure.
→ Full details: Strategic Grants Update
Builder Love Seeks $35K for Dev Discovery Tools
Builder.love, a public goods platform for dev discovery and funding, demoed major upgrades. It tracks 7K+ blockchain projects via GitHub and Electric Capital data. They’re asking $35K to add API infra, staging, and enhanced contract data.
→ Explore the site: Builder love
Resources
ENS DAO offers several resources for understanding and participating in its ecosystem:
- ENS DAO Basics: Learn about the ENS DAO, including voting and governance.
- Support Docs: Guidance on registration, renewals, and development aspects.
- Governance Docs: Insights into governance structure.
- ENS Agora: Governance hub for proposal review and voting.
- ENS Repository: The ENS Protocol’s main GitHub repository.
Note: Posts older than 4 weeks are archival—browse cautiously, as links may be outdated or compromised.
Thank you for reading! Goodbye. 