ENS domain name expires as developer is in prison, up for grabs in Sept.
The domain for the Ethereum Name Service Decentralized Autonomous Organization (ENS DAO), eth.link, now displays an empty page with a banner saying the domain has expired, as the only person with authority to renew it is in prison.
See related article: What is ENS (Ethereum Name Service) and how does it work?
Fast facts
- Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in prison and fined US$100,000 in April for assisting North Korean actors to violate international sanctions through the use of cryptocurrency.
- Domain registrar GoDaddy published a notice on its website on Friday advising the domain expired on July 26 and will be available for anyone to purchase once it re-enters the public registry on Sept. 5.
- GoDaddy initially allowed Griffith’s lawyer to renew the domain in his absence, but ultimately reversed that decision.
- ENS operates like a Web3 version of the Domain Name Service; it is a readable username that is traceable across dApps and blockchains, allowing users to have a single “.eth” domain which can be used to send cryptocurrency instead of typing out the entire wallet sequence.
- The ENS DAO community has advised users to switch over to another community-operated domain, eth.limo, until the issue is resolved.
- The number of ENS addresses recently surpassed 2 million amid the excitement surrounding the coming Ethereum “Merge.”
See related article: What’s in a name? Ethereum domain name creation doubles in four months
