-
ENSv2 is going to be deployed directly on Ethereum L1 due to falling gas prices.
-
Ethereum scaling reduced ENS registration fees from about 99% to about 1%, shifting the cost calculation away from Namechain.
-
The features and roadmap of ENSv2 remain unchanged. Multi-chain resolution is still fully supported.
The Ethereum Name Service confirmed that ENSv2 would be deployed on Ethereum’s base layer. This will end development of the Namechain layer-2. According to ENS contributors recent improvements in Ethereum’s scalability, and cost structure has eliminated the original requirement for a dedicated ENS Layer-2.
Vitalik Buterin commented on X that ENS records and names are a high value state which benefits from being directly available on Ethereum L1. He described ENS, a semi-financial system with a high network importance. He argued that Ethereum’s expanded scale plan makes L1 the best settlement layer for identity systems.
ENS Ends namechain development
ENS Ends namechain development
Katherine Wu, a core contributor to ENS, confirmed that ENSv2 would still launch as planned but without Namechain. She said that ENSv2 is an upgrade to the current ENS protocol, and does not change the project’s mission of serving as Ethereum’s Identity Layer. She noted that the underlying design was built to work on either L1 and L2.
Wu says that deploying on L1 simplifies the name resolution process by eliminating the need to query several chains. It also avoids relying on CCIP Read gateways, which would have been necessary under the original Namechain Plan.
Related: Vitalik Buterin Details Ethereum Foundation Austerity
Ethereum Scaling
Ethereum Scaling
The change follows major changes in Ethereum’s capacity. Gas limits will increase from 30 million to a maximum of 60 million in 2025. Developers are targeting even higher limits in 2026. ENS data shows the average gas cost for ENS registrations has dropped by about 99% in the last year, from several dollars to only a few cents.
Wu said that these reductions have materially altered the cost comparison between using Ethereum L1 and operating an independent L2. She also said that, at the current prices, subsidizing ENS on L1 would be cheaper than maintaining Namechain’s infrastructure.
ENSv2 Features
ENSv2 Features
Despite the infrastructure changes, ENSv2 remains functional. The upgrade introduces an improved ownership and expiration handling, a simplified registration procedure, and a new registry model. The new ENS App interface and ENS Explorer have already been put through public beta testing.
Wu also reiterated ENS’s commitment to supporting resolution across 60 blockchains including Bitcoin and Solana. Users will be able register.eth name from any EVM chain using a single workflow.
Related Ethereum L2s Must Evolve beyond Cost Scaling, Says Vitalik
