Definition: ENS

(1) (Enterprise Networking Services) The directory, management and mail services in the Unix-based VINES operating system (see VINES).

(2) (Ethereum Name Service) A name translation service for crypto transactions managed on the Ethereum blockchain. Instead of using long alphanumeric crypto addresses such as 0xde0B295559a9FD93d4..., ordinary names with a .eth extension can be used, for example, patjones.eth.

ENS Is Like the Internet DNS Naming System
With more than two million registered names as of 2022, ENS, which is actually an NFT on Ethereum, is similar in concept to the DNS system that translates names to website addresses (see IP address). In addition, just like GoDaddy and other domain registrars, ENS names incur annual fees.

The ENS website states that owners of .com and other Internet domains can be associated with the .ens name. It also touts censorship-resistant websites running on the IPFS storage network that are accessed by an ENS name. See IPFS, DNS and domain name registrar.

Sending Crypto

Long addresses, combined with all the arcane terminology and blockchain concepts, keep a lot of people from venturing into the crypto world. This transaction sends $49.99 from a Coinbase centralized account to a decentralized MetaMask wallet (see MetaMask).

The QR Code Alternative

Wallets typically display the public crypto address in QR code format. In lieu of ENS or a similar system, QR codes are an alternative to copying and pasting codes, or worse yet, typing them. One wrong character can send funds to the wrong party, and that cannot be reversed easily, if at all. See user-friendly crypto address and Base58.