Ethereum Name Service is asking its decentralized autonomous organization to approve the activation of ENSv2, an upgraded naming protocol that would change how .eth domains are registered and managed on Ethereum’s mainnet.
What the proposal would change
ENS founder Nick Johnson has submitted an executable draft proposal covering the launch of the next version of the protocol. The proposed upgrade would introduce a redesigned registry architecture, giving domain management and permissions greater flexibility.
If the DAO approves the plan, new registrations would stop on the original ENS registrar. Once existing domain records have been synchronized, new .eth names would instead be created through the upgraded system.
The change would include a brief interruption. Johnson said new .eth registrations would be unavailable on both the old and upgraded systems for several hours while the transition takes place.
ENS is a naming system on Ethereum that links human-readable names, such as .eth domains, with blockchain addresses and other records. The registry architecture is the underlying system used to store and manage those names and their permissions.
Existing domain holders would not need to migrate
The proposal does not require current .eth owners to move their names immediately. Existing domains would continue to function normally, and ENS Labs has set aside existing .eth names for their current owners in the upgraded system.
That arrangement would allow holders to migrate when they are ready rather than requiring all users to complete the transition at once. Existing domain owners would also be able to renew their names without migrating to ENSv2.
After the activation, ENS Labs plans to transfer its remaining administrative control over the upgraded contracts to the DAO. This would place the future management of those contracts under the organization’s decentralized governance process.
According to Cointelegraph, the proposal is still only a draft and has not yet reached an onchain DAO vote. No voting date has been announced.
Approval requirements and market picture
Under ENS governance rules, an executable proposal must receive participation from at least 1% of voters, equivalent to 1 million ENS votes, and must win majority support during a seven-day voting period. If approved, execution would be delayed by a minimum two-day timelock before the upgrade could take effect.
The voting process therefore remains the next formal step before ENSv2 can be implemented. Until then, the proposed pause in registrations and the protocol transition are not scheduled events.
Moneyiar market data at 20:39 on October 13, 2026, showed Ethereum (ETH) at $2506.1245878372, down 0.55% over 24 hours and 7.09% over seven days. Shiba Inu (SHIB) was priced at $0.0000052078, down 2.8% in 24 hours and 9.97% over seven days. Uniswap (UNI) stood at $7.5728081549, up 2.53% over 24 hours but down 12.33% over seven days, while Pepe (PEPE) was at $0.0000041828, up 2.07% in 24 hours and down 1.96% over seven days.
