Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is moving toward a major protocol upgrade that would introduce a redesigned domain management system, pending approval from its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).
ENS founder Nick Johnson has submitted an executable draft proposal seeking authorization to activate ENSv2 on the Ethereum mainnet. The upgrade would replace the existing registrar architecture with a more flexible registry designed to improve domain management and permission controls.
As part of the transition, the current ENS registrar would stop accepting new .eth registrations. Once domain records have been synchronized with the upgraded system, new registrations would resume through ENSv2. Johnson cautioned that registration services could be unavailable across both systems for several hours during the migration.
Existing domain owners, however, would not need to take immediate action. Their names would continue operating normally, and renewals would remain available without requiring migration. ENS Labs has also reserved existing .eth names for their current holders within the new system, allowing users to transfer their domains at a time of their choosing.
Following activation, ENS Labs intends to transfer its remaining administrative control over the upgraded smart contracts to the DAO, further aligning the protocol with its decentralized governance structure.
ENSv2 Activation Depends on DAO Vote
The proposal remains in draft form and must proceed to an onchain governance vote before the upgrade can be implemented.
Under ENS governance rules, executable proposals require at least 1% voter participation, equivalent to 1 million ENS votes, and must secure majority approval during a seven-day voting period. An approved proposal would then face a minimum two-day timelock before execution.
No voting date has been announced.
The planned transition represents a significant change to ENS infrastructure, but its immediate impact on users is expected to be limited primarily to a temporary interruption in new domain registrations. Existing names are designed to remain functional throughout the process, with migration left optional for current holders.
