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What ENS does

ENS turns blockchain addresses into names. yourbrand.eth resolves to your addresses across chains, your website, and your public profile, all from one name you own.

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What subnames unlock

ENS gives one readable name to one owner. Subnames turn that name into a namespace: whoever owns brand.eth can issue alice.brand.eth to a user, pay.brand.eth to a payment endpoint, agent.brand.eth to an AI agent, and thousands more. ENS profile showing Ethereum, Base, Bitcoin, and Solana address records for one name

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Subnames become

  • Readable payments: Replace copying addresses with typing names.
  • Branded identity: Users carry your brand name identity everywhere onchain.
  • Portable profiles: Public addresses and text records all ENS-integrated clients can resolve.
  • Agent identity: Agents get a name, a wallet, and more records other agents can check.
  • Decentralised hosting: Point a subname to content hosted on IPFS or other decentralised storage to serve websites and other static content.
See Use cases for examples across wallets, payments, AI agents, chains, games, and communities.

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Benefits

  • Better UI/UX: Users send to a readable name instead of a 42-character hex string.
  • Smoother onboarding: Users claim a name at signup, not a wallet address.
  • Higher retention: A name is an identity users own. An address is not.
  • Existing network: No integrations to chase. 1,000+ apps already support ENS.
  • Portable identity: Profiles and addresses resolve in any ENS-compatible app.
  • Optional revenue: Charge for renewals or premium names, or keep issuance free.
  • Stronger security: Showing a name and avatar helps users verify a recipient, which can reduce address-poisoning and lookalike-address scams.
  • Brand distribution: Users carry your brand into every app they touch, and every transaction becomes a brand impression.

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L1 subnames

L1 subnames are created through ENS contracts on Ethereum. Their guarantees depend on the parent name’s fuse configuration and the minting contract used. When a name is activated through the Namespace App, the activation flow configures the parent and its minting rules before users register subnames. Review the confirmation transaction carefully because fuse changes may be irreversible.
Fuses are permission bits that restrict what can be done with a name. Once burned (enabled), a fuse cannot be reverted until the name expires.
L1 issuance usually has the highest transaction cost, so it best fits lower-volume flows where Ethereum-native ownership is a requirement.

Enable L1 subname minting—no code

Activate your ENS name, configure L1 minting rules, and let users register through Namespace.

Launch your own L1 minting site

Deploy and customize a branded website where users can mint your L1 subnames.

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L2 subnames

L2 subnames are minted through registry contracts on a supported Layer 2. They offer onchain ownership with lower transaction costs than Ethereum mainnet, although the exact cost and trust assumptions depend on the selected L2. The Namespace App supports configured L2 listings, including Base and Optimism. Developers can use the Mint Manager guide to prepare and submit a transaction for the chain specified by the parent listing.

Enable L2 subname minting—no code

Activate your ENS name, configure an L2 listing, and let users mint through Namespace.

Integrate L2 minting into your app

Use the Mint Manager SDK to add L2 availability checks and mint transactions to your app.

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Offchain subnames

Offchain subnames are stored by an operator and resolved through CCIP Read. Creating or updating one does not require a blockchain transaction, which makes this model useful for high-volume onboarding and frequently changing records. Offchain subnames are not minted as NFTs. The parent-name operator controls issuance and updates through its API-key and application rules. Compatible ENS clients can still read their address, text, and content-hash records through the configured resolver.

Create offchain subnames—no code

Create and manage offchain subnames and their ENS records in the Namespace App.

Integrate offchain subnames into your product

Use the Offchain Manager SDK to issue gasless subnames and manage their records.

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Choose a model

  • Choose offchain for gasless issuance, high volume, and application-managed identities.
  • Choose L2 for lower-cost onchain ownership on a supported L2.
  • Choose L1 when Ethereum-native ownership outweighs transaction cost.
See Getting started for the no-code and developer paths for each model.