A decentralized domain name system (DNS) is an alternative to the traditional, centralized DNS system currently used on the internet. To use a decentralized DNS system, a user must first register a domain name by creating a transaction on the blockchain. The transaction includes the domain name and the blockchain address that the domain name should resolve to. The transaction is then recorded on the blockchain, and the domain name is added to the decentralized DNS system.
The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain.
ENS has similar goals to DNS, but with a different architecture due to the capabilities and constraints of the Ethereum blockchain. It supports dot-separated hierarchical domains, where owners have control over subdomains, and anyone can obtain ownership of a domain by following registrar contract rules. It supports importing DNS names and reverse resolution. ENS is deployed on the Ethereum main network and several test networks and can be used with libraries or end-user applications.
ENS names can be resolved to your Ethereum address, and the domain name will be displayed as a name tag in line with other name tags or address labels in the address page as shown below.
For further information on how we display these domain names on our website, please refer to these articles: