After carefully reviewing all applications for this year, I’ve ranked teams based on their demonstrated value to the ENS ecosystem and protocol. My selections prioritize core infrastructure maintenance, protocol security, and proven track records of delivery.
Crucial Providers
Eth.limo
Eth.limo provides one of the most crucial services on this list. ENS has always leaned into the functionality of gateway resolution of .limo and .link extensions as a way to serve up web content using an ENS name. The infrastructure they provide enables websites hosted on IPFS, Arweave and other decentralized storage networks to be accessed via standard web browsers - this is a foundational piece of ENS’s decentralized web vision. The eth.limo team has kept this utility alive and well while fighting difficult battles on behalf of the ENS protocol.
This team is the quintessential example of an ENS DAO service provider, and I can’t imagine a team more deserving of continued funding from the ENS DAO.
Blockful
The Blockful team has been instrumental in their support of ENS DAO. They’ve performed crucial security services and one of their primary goals has always been the safety and security of the ENS DAO. Their independent verification of calldata has protected the protocol during critical governance actions, and their development of tools like spp.vote demonstrates their commitment to improving ENS governance infrastructure.
Their work on ENSIP-20 (Wildcard Writing Interface) is set to continue with integration into ENSjs, and their Anticapture platform delivers essential visibility into governance security risks, offering data-driven insights that help prevent potential attacks. What makes their approach particularly valuable is that they’re not just identifying problems – they’re proposing comprehensive solutions through governor contract security upgrades, delegation incentive systems, and notification infrastructure that are crucial for the DAO’s long-term security.
Their technical expertise and focus on security fundamentals makes them an essential service provider for the ecosystem.
Unruggable
The Unruggable team has been contributing to the ENS protocol for years. Their results speak for themselves. Their primary contribution in Season One, Unruggable Gateways, is a key component of ENSv2 that enables resolution of data from Namechain and other L2 chains.
Their proposed work on cross-chain interop is an important piece for the ENS L2 ecosystem, and it will be key for onboarding new users to Namechain.
The team’s prior recognition through DAO fellowships speaks to their contribution and the DAO’s trust in their work. This is another team with proven ROI. They’ve earned their place as a DAO service provider.
Namespace
The Namespace team has earned their position on my list through quietly shipping impactful contributions time and again. The ROI from their Season One work is unrivaled. Their collaborative work with Unicorn at ETH Denver, showcasing subname infrastructure and domain issuance through a custom ENS app, represented one of the most tangible demonstrations of value created from Season One funding.
Their SDK stands out by offering unified support for L1, L2, and Offchain subnames - a comprehensive approach that few others match. They’ve built front-end applications for name and subname registration, management, and record updates across different chains, with an extensive set of features for customizing subname registrations.
What further distinguishes Namespace is their dedicated business development and developer relations team actively driving adoption through partnerships and integrations. This focus on both technical excellence and practical adoption makes them a valuable contributor to the ecosystem.
Additional Selections
JustaName
The JustaName team is new, but like Nick.eth and others, I feel their current work and application shows an understanding of new and fresh contributions to the protocol and the ecosystem. Their developer tooling addresses specific needs in the ENS ecosystem, and their focus on solving real problems rather than chasing trends is refreshing.
Ethereum Identity Foundation
The holistic contributions to the ENS protocol from the team at Ethereum Identity Foundation cannot be understated. They’ve been a cornerstone in the success and the vision of ENS since the beginning, they continue to make impactful contributions, and few can claim to have contributed to the success of the ENS protocol as much as this team.
Their evolution from Ethereum Follow Protocol to a broader identity infrastructure initiative demonstrates growth and strategic thinking that benefits the entire ecosystem. Their work expands ENS’s utility as an identity layer beyond just naming.
Unicorn
Similar to the comments on Namespace and their success in the ETH Denver project, Unicorn has tangible real results that show the ROI on the Season One investment. Their subname infrastructure and user onboarding approach has demonstrated practical value, converting Web2 users to ENS name holders through accessible entry points.
Decent
I believe in the vision of truly onchain governance, and Decent prioritizes this paradigm. I’ve seen their work and philosophy up close, and I believe ENS should work to use as many fully onchain native tools as possible. Their approach to governance infrastructure aligns with the decentralized ethos that should guide our tooling choices.
My None Below
I’ve expressed concern about our financial picture as a DAO. In the last 2 years we’ve increased our spend 3x, with no commensurate increase in revenue. By some measures, our revenue has decreased over that period. Namechain is a big initiative, and worthy of investment, but I do believe that we should embrace a bit of fiscal conservatism where possible.
I made my case on this during the initial budget selection process. While I think there are many good projects below my NONE BELOW line, I’m currently only supportive of limited asks. In fact, I haven’t supported any extended budgets in my selection process.
While I recognize there are many other worthy teams applying, I believe our focus should be on funding the essential infrastructure and proven contributors first, especially given our current financial reality. This doesn’t mean the other projects lack merit - simply that we need to prioritize in a fiscally responsible manner.