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Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is in the middle of its ENSv2 overhaul. In other words, the onchain identity protocol is future-proofing by optimizing its architecture and deploying to a dedicated Layer 2 (L2) chain. Yet there's a lot going on around ENS in general these days.
For instance:
- Thanks to its recent Doma integration, ENS now lets tokenized DNS domains resolve like native ENS names (and without having to go through DNSSEC importing, which ENS still supports in parallel).
- The ENS Labs team has also been continuing its work to integrate ENS deeper into the mainstream DNS system. The stewards here are preparing to apply for a .ens "brand" TLD in the upcoming ICANN generic top-level domain (gTLD) round, slated for April 2026. This move would shore up ENS's brand and security within DNS and pave the way to new features.
- Plus, shortly after the Doma news, the ENS Labs team introduced the new ENS App and ENS Explorer products, which will arrive once ENSv2 is officially rolled out. These launches will effectively split the existing ENS frontend into 1) a simple consumer identity manager, and 2) a full-stack dev tool for advanced name control.
- As for the ENSv2 evolution itself, the big intrigue this week was ENS's announcement that its upcoming Namechain L2 will be launched via Surge, Nethermind's based rollup framework founded upon Taiko's tech stack. The pivot from Linea to Surge will let Namechain deploy in more credibly-neutral fashion and as a based rollup (for Ethereum-native sequencing + low CCIP-Read latency).
- Outside of the Labs team, the ENS community is also staying productive. For example, the builders at EthID (the minds behind projects like Ethereum Follow Protocol, Ethereum Identity Kit, and Sign in with Ethereum) just unveiled Grails, a new dedicated marketplace for ENS domain NFTs. The platform offers zero-fee trading, bulk renewals, private watchlists, ENS + EFP profiles support, etc.
Zooming out, ENS already supports +1.6M domains, and the changes coming here are aimed at supporting the next 10x in registrations and beyond. In the meantime, all eyes move to Namechain’s public testnet, which is expected in Q2 2026.
If that timing holds, the L2's landing should almost perfectly coincide with the kick off of ICANN’s next gTLD expansion round. Next year will be big for ENS accordingly, so keep your eyes peeled on the project!
