If you have spent any time using Ethereum wallets or block explorers, have you ever questioned why smart contracts are still referred to via their hexadecimal addresses?
You don’t have to enter numeric digits to visit websites. Why can’t you refer to smart contracts by name?
Vitalik Buterin recently published an essay on low-risk DeFi, arguing that Ethereum’s long-term strength won’t come from chasing the highest yields or the flashiest innovations. Instead, it will come from protocols that are boring, safe, and dependable, akin to how Google’s simple search box became the foundation of the modern web.
Smart contracts power the onchain economy, but they lack proper identity infrastructure. When users encounter a contract address like 0x742d35cc567890c000c000c07c81c25d7df34793, they can't easily verify what it does, who built it, or whether it's safe to use.
Over the past few months, we've been working hard to make it as easy as possible for developers to name their smart contracts using ENS. With support now live on Ethereum, Base, and Linea, we're starting to see steady adoption through the Enscribe app. But naming is just the first step in improving Ethereum's user experience.