TL;DR
- ENS is asking its DAO to approve ENSv2 activation on Ethereum mainnet, freezing new v1 .eth registrations while preserving renewals and ownership rights.
- ENSv2 replaces the original flat registry with hierarchical registries, flexible subname permissions and customizable resolver structures, while existing holders can migrate when ready.
- If approved, activation proceeds through five stages, ending with ENS Labs transferring remaining v2 administrative roles to the DAO with no mandatory migration deadline.
Ethereum Name Service is asking its DAO to approve activation of ENSv2 on Ethereum mainnet, moving the naming protocol toward a redesigned registry while preserving .eth ownership. In the official executable proposal, ENS says approval would freeze new registrations on the v1 registrar, keep unmigrated names renewable and reserve active names for their current owners on v2. The proposal begins the transition rather than forcing users to migrate immediately, with existing names remaining functional until owners choose to move them. The upgrade builds on the Ethereum Name Service roadmap developed around ENSv2.
ENSv2 Would Restructure How .eth Names Are Managed
ENSv2 replaces the original flat registry, deployed in 2017, with a hierarchy in which every name can operate its own registry for subnames. Owners can also use custom registry and resolver implementations, while permissions become fine-grained roles instead of relying on the existing NameWrapper and irreversible fuses. The redesign aims to make subname permissions and resolver management more flexible while reducing dependence on layers added around the original registry. ENS previously moved the new architecture through public beta testing on Sepolia, including the migration flow users would use on mainnet.
Activation is structured in five stages. ENS Labs has already deployed the v2 contracts and reserved active or in-grace v1 names. If the DAO executes the proposal, the v1 registrar would stop accepting new registrations, renew-only contracts would protect unmigrated names, and the Universal Resolver would prepare for the switch. ENS Labs would then run a final synchronization before opening the v2 registrar and routing resolution through the new registry. After launch, ENS Labs commits to transferring every remaining v2 administrative role it controls to the DAO timelock. That handover follows the ENS governance restructuring.
For .eth holders, the proposal is designed to minimize disruption. Names that are not migrated will continue working and can keep being renewed, with no migration deadline. When owners choose to move, the ENS app will migrate management to v2 permanently, while locked permissions on wrapped names are intended to carry across. Applications and integrations will need to resolve through the Universal Resolver to remain v2-compatible. The key governance decision is whether the DAO should authorize the mainnet transition and permanent freeze of new v1 registrations. The process also places importance on the ENS Security Council during an upgrade with irreversible migration steps.