Tech
The Ethereum-based domain protocol ENS seeks its own L2, possibly with ZK rollup
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) Labs, the company behind the ENS domain name protocol, proposed on Tuesday to undergo a complete architecture redesign that would transform the network into a layer-2 blockchain.
The proposal, called “ENSv2,” will overhaul the project’s ledger system as part of the transformation into a layer 2, which is an auxiliary network that provides cheaper transaction fees that can then be settled to the underlying blockchain, Ethereum.
Executive Director of ENS Labs Khori Whittaker initially told CoinDesk in an interview that the project was leaning towards using ZK Stack layer 2 chain development kit technology from Matter Labs, which was also the lead developer behind zkSync layer 2.
Subsequently, a spokesperson told CoinDesk that: “ENS Labs does not yet have a determined stack for the L2 expansion with all options still on the table. There have been discussions specifically on ZK rollups, but no final decisions have been made yet “
ENS’s new initiative follows a new blockchain trend, where some protocols on Ethereum and even some alternative layer 1 blockchains are migrating to become layer 2 networks, to meet the needs of their communities, such as the desire for cheaper fees or customization. Earlier this month, Tier 1 chain Celo concluded an 8-month research project for its new Level 2 home, relying on Optimism’s technology to help push them.
“I want to get the price of gas as close to zero as possible,” Whittaker said. “So I’m excited about the many businesses using ENS names and profiles.”
ENS, founded in 2017 by former Ethereum Foundation employees Nick Johnson and Alex Van de Sande, is designed to map cryptocurrency addresses, typically made up of long strings of letters and words, to human-readable names like “Alice.eth.” In its current configuration, the protocol exists simply as smart contracts on Ethereum.
The team spent some time looking at Arbitrum’s Layer 2 technologies, Optimism, and zkSync before deciding ZK Stack by Matter Labs, Whittaker initially told CoinDesk, but the team later clarified that they were looking into zero-knowledge rollups. ZK Stack is a customizable software toolkit that allows developers to create their own chains based on zkSync technology. A key component of the ZK stack, as well as other ZK rollups, is that it uses zero-knowledge proofsa type of cryptography that is one of the hottest trends in blockchain.
When evaluating which stack to choose, privacy and security were at the top of the list, Whittaker said.
“From my perspective, this is what I see in the various L2 stacks,” Whittaker said.
With the release of the proposal, the ENS DAO – the decentralized governing body behind the ENS Protocol – will vote on whether it approves the changes, kicking off a period of back-and-forth dialogue.
“It will probably take about two months to get through the whole process, and then once we’re all aligned and we get buy-in, then we’ll go off to the construction bidding,” Whittaker said.
UPDATE (May 28, 2024, 10:36 PM UTC): Adds clarification in hed and fourth paragraph that ENS Labs is looking specifically at ZK rollups and not just zkSync’s ZK stack.