What could affect the price of ENS?
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) balances growing practical use with the ups and downs of the crypto market.
- ENSv2 Upgrade – A major update using ZK rollups aims to make ENS faster and cheaper, potentially increasing adoption by mid-2026.
- Web3 Identity Competition – ENS holds 85% of the market but faces growing competition from other blockchain naming services.
- Ethereum’s Growth Path – ENS’s success depends on Ethereum’s transaction fees and Layer 2 scaling progress.
Deep Dive
1. ENSv2 & Namechain Launch (Positive Outlook)
Overview: ENS plans to switch to Namechain, a new technology built with Nethermind’s Surge that uses zero-knowledge rollups (ZK rollups). This upgrade could cut transaction fees by about 90% and allow .eth names to work across different blockchains by mid-2026. Currently, registering a name costs around $15 and can take hours due to delays.
What this means: Lower costs and faster service could encourage more businesses and users to register .eth names. Registrations already grew 22% in 2025. For example, when ENS integrated with Optimism in 2024, weekly registrations tripled. This upgrade could also open new uses, like naming AI agents.
2. Decentralized Naming Wars (Mixed Outlook)
Overview: ENS currently leads with 2.1 million .eth domains, but competitors like Shido Name Service (launched November 2025) and Unstoppable Domains on Polygon are gaining users.
What this means: ENS’s early start and close ties to Ethereum give it an advantage, but rivals could chip away at its 85% market share. ENS plans to integrate traditional domain names (DNS) through the Doma Protocol in 2026. Success here could strengthen ENS’s position, but delays might let cheaper Layer 2 alternatives take market share.
3. Ethereum’s Scalability Timeline (Mixed Impact)
Overview: ENS’s revenue depends on Ethereum’s activity. In 2025, registrations increased 37% after Ethereum lowered fees with EIP-4844. Future upgrades like danksharding (expected late 2026) could reduce costs even more.
What this means: If Ethereum continues to improve scalability, ENS could become more popular with everyday users. However, if Layer 2 development slows or regulators crack down on privacy-related uses of .eth names (such as anonymous donations), demand might drop.
Conclusion
ENS’s future price and growth depend on successfully moving to Layer 2 technology while staying ahead in a competitive market. The current price range of $10–$12 is a key level to watch. Breaking above $14.25 (the 200-day moving average) could signal a positive trend. Keep an eye on the Namechain testnet results in Q2 2026—especially whether ENS can offer registrations under $2 without sacrificing decentralization.
What are people saying about ENS?
The conversation around Ethereum Name Service (ENS) balances steady product improvements with cautious talk about price. Here’s the quick summary:
- ENS team launches new app features and integrates more domain types
- Governance discussions pick up with the MetaGov working group
- User experience upgrades allow profile customization without extra fees
- Analysts see on-chain growth but warn about short-term price swings
Deep Dive
1. @ensdomains: October Product Updates (Positive)
"ENS announced the ENS App and ENS Explorer... Traditional domains tokenized on Doma can behave like first-class ENS names... The app now supports header images"
– @ensdomains (265.9K followers · Nov 5, 2025)
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What this means: This is a positive sign for ENS because expanding the types of domains it supports and launching dedicated apps strengthens its role as the main identity system for Web3, encouraging more people to use it.
2. @ensdomains: Governance Discussion (Neutral)
"Join ENS MetaGov Working Group office hours to discuss governance mechanics and delegate involvement"
– @ensdomains (265.9K followers · Nov 21, 2025)
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What this means: This is neutral for ENS because while active governance talks show the community is engaged, they don’t guarantee immediate improvements to the system.
3. @ensdomains: User Experience Upgrade (Positive)
"Set header images in the ENS App with gasless updates... Upload images during registration"
– @ensdomains (265.9K followers · Oct 30, 2025)
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What this means: This is positive for ENS because making it easier and cheaper to customize profiles lowers barriers for new users, which could lead to more domain registrations and better user retention.
4. @MrMinNin: Price Analysis (Mixed)
"New registrations up 8% month-over-month... Strong support at $12-13 but pullbacks possible if Bitcoin weakens"
– @MrMinNin (3.5K followers · Oct 22, 2025)
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What this means: This is mixed for ENS because while growing usage (910,000 active domains) shows the product fits the market, price resistance near $20-25 means short-term price uncertainty remains, especially if Bitcoin’s price drops.
Conclusion
The overall view on ENS is cautiously optimistic. Core infrastructure improvements balance out some bearish price concerns. User growth and product upgrades point to long-term value, but traders remain watchful of resistance levels and how ENS’s price moves with Bitcoin. Keep an eye on monthly domain registration trends—if growth stays above 5%, it could confirm ENS’s role as the leading Web3 identity platform.
What is the latest news about ENS?
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is navigating price changes and shifts in trading platforms while working on improving user experience. Here are the key updates:
- Price Forecast for 2026–2030 (January 17, 2026) – Experts are debating whether ENS can reach $100, depending largely on how quickly Web3 technology is adopted and how well Ethereum improves its network.
- Binance Margin Trading Removal (January 13, 2026) – Binance stopped offering ENS/BTC margin trading pairs, which means less availability for leveraged trading of ENS.
- User Experience Upgrade (December 22, 2025) – ENSv2 plans to make it easier to use ENS with a design similar to Shopify and support for multiple blockchains.
In-Depth Look
1. Price Forecast for 2026–2030 (January 17, 2026)
Summary: Analysts believe ENS could hit $100 by 2030 if Web3 adoption grows quickly. This growth depends on Ethereum’s upcoming upgrades (called danksharding) that lower transaction costs, and ENS expanding into decentralized digital credentials. Right now, ENS is priced at about $10.24, which is 70% below its highest price, and opinions vary with price targets between $30 and $100 for 2026.
What this means: The optimistic outlook assumes ENS keeps 85% of the decentralized naming market (Messari, 2024) and continues to reduce supply by burning tokens through registration fees. Risks include competition from other services like Unstoppable Domains and ongoing challenges in the crypto market.
2. Binance Margin Trading Removal (January 13, 2026)
Summary: On January 15, 2026, Binance removed ENS/BTC margin trading pairs as part of a larger cleanup of 38 pairs with low trading volume. Spot trading (regular buying and selling) is still available, but this reduces ENS’s exposure to traders using borrowed funds.
What this means: Binance is managing its risks, but this move might reduce short-term price swings. ENS’s daily spot trading volume remains steady at about $23.6 million, though interest in derivatives dropped 17% after the announcement (CoinMarketCap).
3. User Experience Upgrade (December 22, 2025)
Summary: ENSv2, launching in 2026, introduces a new technology called Namechain (a zero-knowledge rollup) that will allow almost instant registration of .eth names and support for resolving names across different blockchains (like optimism.on.eth). ENS is also partnering with D3 to let users turn traditional domain names (like .com) into ENS-compatible digital assets.
What this means: These changes could make ENS more appealing to everyday users, not just crypto enthusiasts, and fit well with Ethereum’s plan to scale its network. However, success depends on wallet support and lowering transaction fees (CCN).
Conclusion
ENS is working on major technology improvements while facing market challenges. Its success in 2026 will depend on how well Ethereum scales and whether decentralized identity gains real-world use. The big question is whether ENSv2’s easier user experience will attract mainstream users or if limits on trading liquidity will hold back growth.
What is expected in the development of ENS?
The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) roadmap is focused on making the platform easier to use and more scalable, with three main goals:
- ENS App Launch (Q1 2026) – Completing user testing for a simpler way to manage ENS names.
- ENSv2 Testnet (Q2 2026) – Public testing of a new Layer 2 solution to lower transaction fees.
- Name Recovery Feature (2026) – Introducing a way to recover lost wallets using trusted contacts.
Deep Dive
1. ENS App Launch (Q1 2026)
Overview: The new ENS App and Explorer will make it easier to register, manage, and find .eth names. User testing wrapped up in November 2025, and features like profile header images are already available. The team is finalizing improvements for a release in early 2026.
What this means: This is positive news for ENS because a better user experience could attract more people, especially those new to crypto. However, delays in integrating with wallets could slow down adoption.
2. ENSv2 Testnet (Q2 2026)
Overview: ENSv2 moves key functions to "Namechain," a Layer 2 solution using zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-rollups) built with Taiko’s technology. This change will reduce transaction fees by about 90% and make transactions almost instant. The public testnet is planned for mid-2026 after internal checks.
What this means: This is good for ENS because lower fees and faster transactions could boost .eth name registrations and make it easier to use across different blockchains. Still, technical challenges during the switch might cause delays.
3. Name Recovery Feature (2026)
Overview: To help users who lose access to their wallets, ENS is developing a recovery system where trusted friends or entities ("guardians") can help verify identity and restore access. This feature is expected by late 2026.
What this means: This is a neutral update for ENS. It improves security and user confidence but could also create new risks if not carefully designed and tested.
Conclusion
ENS’s roadmap focuses on making the service more user-friendly, affordable, and secure—important steps toward wider adoption of Web3 identities. The upcoming Layer 2 upgrade could be a key factor in driving more .eth name use and integration.
What updates are there in the ENS code base?
The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is improving its technology to work better across different blockchains, boost security, and make life easier for developers.
- Namechain L2 Migration (Q4 2025) – ENSv2 will use a technology called ZK-rollup to work smoothly across multiple blockchains.
- Critical NPM Patch (Nov 24, 2025) – Fixed a security issue that affected over 40 software packages used by ENS developers.
- ENSJS v2 Deprecation (July 2024) – Switched to newer testing tools to make the software more reliable.
Deep Dive
1. Namechain L2 Migration (Q4 2025)
Overview
ENSv2 introduced Namechain, a new system built with advanced technology (ZK-rollup and Taiko’s stack) that allows .eth domain names to work seamlessly across Ethereum Layer 2 networks like Optimism and Base.
Technical Shift
Using a framework called Surge from Nethermind, ENS can now update information across blockchains in seconds instead of hours. This means developers can create names specific to each blockchain (like optimism.on.eth) without complicated manual steps.
What this means
This upgrade makes it much easier for users to interact with ENS domains on multiple blockchains, helping .eth become the universal naming system for Web3 applications. (Source)
2. Critical NPM Patch (Nov 24, 2025)
Overview
A harmful software bug called “Shai-Hulud” spread through npm (a package manager for JavaScript), affecting over 40 ENS-related software packages by stealing developer credentials.
Response
ENS Labs quickly revoked old access tokens, updated the affected packages (like ethereum-ens), and advised developers to change their API keys. Importantly, no user funds were compromised.
What this means
While this was a serious issue, the fast response minimized damage. It also highlights the risks of relying on open-source software tools. (Source)
3. ENSJS v2 Deprecation (July 2024)
Overview
ENS stopped supporting its older JavaScript library (ensjs-v2) and moved to a new testing tool called Playwright to improve software reliability.
Behind the Scenes
Switching from Cypress to Playwright reduced testing time by 40% and improved how tests handle wallet and blockchain interactions.
What this means
This change benefits developers by speeding up development cycles and improving software quality, which is important as ENS prepares for the ENSv2 launch. (Source)
Conclusion
ENS is focusing on making its system faster, more secure, and easier for developers to work with. With the ENSv2 mainnet launch expected in 2026, these improvements could increase demand for .eth domain names as more people use Layer 2 blockchains.