ENS Names and On-chain Identity

Wallet addresses are long strings of letters and numbers that nobody can remember. Names make them human. The Ethereum Name Service, known as ENS, lets people register readable names ending in .eth that point to wallet addresses and other information. Over time, those names have become a core part of on-chain identity.

What ENS does

At its simplest, ENS maps a name like example.eth to a wallet address. Instead of copying a long address, someone can type the name into a supporting wallet and send funds.

ENS names can also store other records:

• Addresses on other blockchains
• A profile picture, often an NFT
• Links to a website, X account or GitHub profile
• A description or email
• Content hashes for decentralised websites

Because the records live in smart contracts, anyone can read them, and many apps display ENS names instead of raw addresses.

Why people use ENS names

People register ENS names for several reasons:

1. Readability. Friends and clients can send payments to a name.
2. Identity. A consistent name across apps signals who you are.
3. Profile. Records gather social links and avatars in one place.
4. Belonging. Having a .eth name became a visible sign of participation in crypto culture.

Many people add their ENS name to their X display name, which helps others connect their social identity to their on-chain activity.

Projects and ENS

Projects use ENS for official treasury addresses, contract names and subdomains for team members, such as alice.project.eth. Subdomains help communities show affiliation and help users recognise official addresses.

Publishing an official ENS name for a treasury or payment address makes it easier for users to verify they are sending funds to the right place.

Setting up an ENS name safely

Registration happens through the official ENS app. Follow a few safety steps:

• Reach the app through a bookmark or the official website, not ads or DMs
• Check the price and renewal period before confirming
• Set the primary name, sometimes called reverse record, so apps show your name for your address
• Add records gradually, and only information you want public
• Note the expiry date and set a reminder to renew

Expired names can be registered by someone else, who then controls where the name points. Renewing on time matters.

Limits of names as trust signals

An ENS name makes an address readable. It does not make its owner trustworthy. Scammers register names that look like official projects, with small changes such as extra letters or different spellings.

Signal	What it tells you	What it does not tell you
ENS name exists	Someone registered it	That they are who they claim
Name matches a brand	Possibly official	Could be a lookalike
Records link to official site	Stronger evidence	Records can be edited by owner
Name listed on project website	Strong evidence	Only if the website is genuine

The best verification is checking the name against the project's own website and other official sources.

Privacy considerations

Linking a name to an address makes your on-chain activity easier to associate with you. Some people keep one public identity wallet with an ENS name and use separate, unnamed wallets for other activity. Think about what you want visible before connecting a name to a wallet with significant history.

Identity beyond one registry

On-chain identity is increasingly spread across several places: ENS names, social profiles, attestations and public listings. Each adds context. A project with a consistent name across its ENS records, website, X account and public profiles such as a Proud Globe pin is much easier for people to recognise and much harder to impersonate.