Ethereum Name Service: Simplifying and Streamlining the User Experience

In the ever-evolving world of blockchain technology, Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has emerged as a game-changing tool, making Ethereum addresses more user-friendly. Only a year after the Ethereum mainnet launch, Nick Johnson embarked on a mission to create ENS, a tool that assigns human-readable names to the otherwise complex strings of letters and numbers representing Ethereum addresses.

"It was one of the first projects I started working on at the Ethereum Foundation," says Johnson, "and then spun out to its own organization. We've been building it ever since."

A Vision for the Future: Enhanced User Experience

Speaking on the 0xResearch podcast, Nick Johnson shares his vision for the future of ENS, where the service becomes even more valuable through layer-2 support, improved user interfaces, and expanded functionality.

A key goal is to make ENS names as ubiquitous as Ethereum addresses. Johnson envisions a future where users can effortlessly enter an ENS name wherever an Ethereum (ETH) address is required, expecting support as the norm rather than the exception.

Transparency and Cost Reduction: A Top Priority

Another critical element of ENS's future vision is increasing transparency and reducing costs. Johnson emphasizes that these are the current focal points of development.

To achieve this, ENS is rolling out layer-2 solutions for cost-effective name registrations. Additionally, they are enhancing tools to simplify the issuance of subnames, potentially enabling organizations like Coinbase to use off-chain "host names."

With these advancements, name owners will have greater control over the "trust model" governing their names and subdomains, according to Johnson.

Making Layer-2 Hosting Effortless

Johnson acknowledges that while layer-2 hosting for names has been possible for over a year, the setup process needs to be more user-friendly. "What's been missing is the easy plug and play tooling that makes it trivial for someone to do that," he points out.

Currently, integrating with layer-2 solutions requires more effort than desired. ENS is actively working on simplifying both the backend integration and frontend user experience to match the feature set.

Wallet Naming: A Long-Term Vision

Johnson reveals that ENS has been in discussions with wallet providers to make wallet naming a reality. "The wallet sign-up flow should include naming the wallet," he says, emphasizing that users shouldn't have to concern themselves with complex Ethereum addresses any more than they worry about IP addresses.

Drawing parallels, Johnson notes that IP addresses are far simpler and easier to memorize than Ethereum addresses. He envisions a future where setting up a wallet involves choosing a pseudonymous name, ensuring privacy and ease of use.

Conclusion: The User-Friendly Future of Ethereum Addresses

In Nick Johnson's vision, ENS is set to revolutionize the usability of Ethereum addresses, making them as effortless and memorable as names. This transformation will not only simplify transactions but also enhance privacy and user control, aligning Ethereum with the same degree of usability as traditional systems. With ENS, the blockchain world is on a path towards a more accessible and user-centric future.

1. blockworks.co