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Newsletter Roundup (tl;dr)

ENS Labs Update: evmgateway, JPMorgan, Name Ownership Update

Community Updates: 1W3 Buildathon, onthis.xyz, Layer 3 Quest
Meta-Governance: Budget Proposals, Endowment, EP4.3
Public Goods: Public Goods Large Grants
Ecosystem: Gasless DNSSEC, Fellowship, Project Highlights

Welcome!

Welcome to the ENS DAO Newsletter:

🗓 New editions — published bi-weekly (Tuesday)
Previous editions are archived on the ENS DAO Governance Forum.
🗳 New proposals are broadcasted to Telegram.
Submit feedback — tell us what to feature!

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🗓 Calendar

Refer to ENS DAO Calendar for ENS DAO working group calls and other events.

Calendar: Public Access
Calendar: Access with Gmail

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🗳 Recent Proposals

Note: A minimum of 100k $ENS is required to submit an executable proposal. Once a proposal gains momentum, the stewards will prioritize it for a vote during the designated voting window. See our Governance Docs for more information.

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Budget Proposals:

The ENS DAO has tabled budget proposals for Q4 2023/Q1 2024:

Breakdown:

ENS Ecosystem Working Group: Requests 409,000 USDC for enhancing the ENS Ecosystem.
MetaGovernance Working Group 1: Requests 376,000 USDC, 40 ETH, and 52,300 $ENS for strengthening ENS DAO’s governance processes and infrastructure.
Public Goods Working Group: Requests 218,204 USDC and 35 ETH to support web3 public goods in line with the ENS DAO Constitution.

For a comprehensive view and detailed breakdown of each proposal, including their specific objectives and use of funds, please click here.

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ENS Labs Updates

ENS Labs Pioneers Multichain Data Retrieval with `evmgateway`

ENS Labs is working to improve interactions between Ethereum’s L1 and L2 chains with their evmgateway project, suggesting that it might shape future L2 resolvers. It is designed to retrieve data proofs from different EVM chains. Although promising, it’s still under development and not ready for mass use. They’ve achieved progress with Optimism, an L2 solution. These efforts by ENS Labs indicate the industry’s aim to enhance cross-chain operations. The evmgateway can be found on the ENS Labs GitHub repository. The repository reveals that it implements a generic CCIP-Read gateway. The primary purpose of this gateway is to fetch state proofs of data from other EVM chains, particularly enabling L1 contracts to retrieve and verify data from L2 contracts within a read context. — 10.16.23

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Onyx (J.P. Morgan) Explores Web3 and Digital Identity with ENS

Onyx by J.P. Morgan recently delved into the realm of Web3, emphasizing the significance of digital identity (DI); it refers to the online portrayal and recognition of any individual or organization. At present, centralized DI data presents challenges, mainly: (data) does not truly belong to the individual it signifies, paving the way for fraud and limiting self-expression. To tackle this, Onyx discussed the quartet of components that construct the Web3 DI framework: Identifiers, Identity attributes, Reputation, and Digital collectables and assets.

ENS is recognized by Onyx as a quintessential component of this framework, allowing users to have unique names tied to their blockchain addresses, reducing reliance on centralized systems. Global institutions acknowledge the essential role of DID technology, such as ENS, in promoting decentralized identity management for the Web3 era. For more on this perspective, Onyx’s comprehensive document can be accessed here; alternatively, review Namespace founder and ENS Delegate, @cap breakdown the article on X. — 10.20.23

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“AI Generates, Crypto Authenticates”: ENS Utility in Authenticating Generative AI

At SmartCon2023 held earlier this month, Balaji Srinivasan discussed the utility of ENS and IPFS in AI content authentication. The main idea is straightforward. Existing content can be mapped to a specific content-hash and then linked to an ENS name. This mechanism allows for easy verification of content’s origins—distinguishing whether it was generated by AI or a human. While the potential of Generative AI grows, ENS and IPFS will continue to offer a reliable method for authentication. Balaji’s presentation can be accessed in full here. Further details about SmartCon are available on their official website. — 10.21.23

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ENS Name Ownership Display and Management: User-Centric Updates

The ENS App received a significant update in how name ownership is displayed and managed. The revamped solutions were devised after rigorous testing in collaboration with the community. — 10.18.23

Introducing a dedicated ‘Ownership’ tab:
- This new tab clarifies name ownership as the specific addresses associated with a name. This approach comes after insights gathered from user research which indicates that most users are primarily concerned with understanding who has the power to alter their names. The updated display showcases all addresses with any ownership over a name, organizing them by address rather than function.
Role management and permissions:
- The new update introduces a more streamlined process for modifying permissions. The ‘Send’ functionality has been revamped to align more with its label. Now, users can transmit all editable roles to a different address and even opt to erase the profile data. This adjustment simplifies the process of bestowing names to acquaintances.
Introducing ‘Sync manager’:
- The ‘Sync manager’ allows owners to easily set themselves as the Manager, which is especially beneficial when acquiring names from secondary markets. Users will also observe the incorporation of indigo helpers, a new design pattern vital to the manager app.

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ENS Channel Launches on Farcaster

ENS has inaugurated a new channel on the decentralized social network, Farcaster. Those interested in ENS can follow this channel for updates and interactions. A recent AMA session hosted by Gregskril.eth, Developer Relations at ENS, is accessible via Warpcast. Additionally, they developed a platform for easily gifting Farcaster accounts. The procedure involves a friend signing a message to receive a URL, another party visiting said URL for payment, and then the friend can use any desired client. The platform can be explored here. — 10.17.23

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Worldbuilding on Decentraland with ENS

Decentraland has introduced DCL Worlds accessibility for ENS domains. Beyond Genesis City, these personal 3D spaces can be accessed using either a Decentraland NAME or an ENS domain. Those with an ENS domain can obtain a Decentraland World with a fixed scene file size limit of 25 Mb. Designed for newcomers, these Worlds act as an entry point into the Decentraland ecosystem. During deployment from the Builder, users can opt for a Decentraland NAME or an ENS Domain from their wallet. Once a scene is uploaded, it can be accessed through the Decentraland Explorer using the specified NAME. In essence, ENS domains provide an alternative method to access, acquire, and manage Decentraland Worlds. Start worldbuilding today. — 10.11.23

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ENS to discuss CCIP-read at Ethereum Block Summit

The Ethereum Block Summit has announced a new addition to its roster of speakers - @mdt. Among the topics of focus this year is the unveiling of EIP-3668: Cross Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). This groundbreaking standard has been meticulously developed by ENS founder, Nick Johnson. One of the core features of this protocol, CCIP-Read, promises to significantly enhance the capabilities of smart contracts. It is particularly designed to empower offchain and Layer 2 data, ensuring that smart contracts can seamlessly tap into these critical data streams. Learn more about the summit here. — 10.11.23

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Integrating ENS: Enhanced User Experiences in Mailchain and Coinbase Wallet

In recent ecosystem developments, service providers are increasingly leveraging the capabilities of ENS to enhance user experience. Mailchain, a prominent web3 email service provider, has taken a significant step forward by integrating ENS. Users of the Mailchain platform will now see ENS names prominently displayed in both the ‘to’ and ‘from’ sections within their app, streamlining the email experience by associating Ethereum addresses with easily recognizable names. In parallel, Coinbase Wallet has made advancements in its cross-messaging transaction protocol (XMTP) functionality. With their recent update, users can now utilize ENS names to seamlessly send and receive funds directly through direct messages, completing transactions in mere seconds. This not only simplifies the transaction process but also elevates the role of human-readable addresses in daily crypto interactions. — 10.18.23

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Recent updates from the ENS Repository

Repository: ENS Subgraph
- Commit by kaduanganu: An update was made to the file processor.ts, improving the processor’s functionality.
- Commit by kaduanganu: Modifications were made to the README.md file, enhancing the documentation.
- Commit by kaduanganu: Another update was made to the file processor.ts, refining the processor’s operations.
- Commit by kaduanganu: The file Gravity.json was updated, optimizing the gravity configuration.
Repository: ensjs-v3
- Commit by TateB: Small lint fixes were made under small lint fixes.
- Release by TateB: Published release v3.0.0-beta.9.
- Commit by TateB: Small lint fixes (Different Test Run) under small lint fixes (Different Test Run).
Repository: Governance Contracts
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: Gas optimization was performed under gas optimization #409.
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: A requirement check was added on transferFrom method under require check on transferFrom #91.
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: An event emission was added on metadata URI updates under emit event on metadata uri updates #270.
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: Documented ERC1155 behaviour of delegateMulti method under document ERC1155 behaviour of delegateMulti [N-01].
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: A limitation note was added to the _delegateMulti method under add limitation note to the _delegateMulti #61.
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: A message was added to the amount check when thrown under add message to the amount check when thrown [L-1].
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: The approve method was updated to require return value to be true under require approve method returns to be true #30.
Repository: ens-avatar
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: SVG meta cleanup was performed under svg meta cleanup (#42).
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: Fix patch process during deployment, version bump under fix patch process during deployment, version bump.
- Commit by mdtanrikulu: SVG meta cleanup (Different CI run) under svg meta cleanup (#42) (Different CI run).
Repository: ens-domains/docs
- Commit by hemaaanth: A typo was corrected in ensip-16, changing “GodSky” to “Goldsky” under Update ensip-16 to address typo (GodSky > Goldsky)
Repository: ens-og-image
- Commit by TateB: A fix related to loading was made under load fix
- Commit by TateB: Changes were made regarding address routing under address route
- Commit by TateB: An update was made under update
- Commit by TateB: Initialization commit under init
Repository: ens-domains/thorin
- Commit by storywithoutend: Conversion of styled components to vanilla extract was performed under convert styled components to vanilla extract
Repository: ens-domains/evmgateway
- Commit by makoto: Execution of bun was repeated under run bun again
- Commit by makoto: Added bun.lockb file under add bun.lockb
- Commit by makoto: Merged pull request #4 from ensdomains/op-gateway-worker under merge pull request #4
- Commit by makoto: Moved some configurations into mapping under move some configs into mapping
- Commit by makoto: Updated README under update README

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ENS Media Alerts

ENS Radio: onchain domain names with 3DNS — 10.11.23
ENS Radio: decentralized phone numbers with 3numdao — 10.18.23

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Community Updates

1W3’s Inaugural Buildathon and More

Hidayath.eth, founder of 1W3, has announced their inaugural Buildathon. This event invites the ENS community to design and produce decentralized websites tailored to their distinct ENS names. It’s an exciting chance for developers, designers, and enthusiasts to both display their talents and contribute to the evolution of the decentralized web. To support Buildathon participants, an exhaustive builder documentation is now available. It’s a guide for both experienced developers and newcomers aiming to familiarize themselves with 1W3. For those interested in the Buildathon, full details are accessible on X. 1 2 Additionally, creators can now incorporate decentralized forms on ENS sites using DeForm and 1W3. This feature enables the addition of functionalities like allowlists, registration forms, and even NFT rewards. — 10.10.23

Note: the submission deadline is October 31

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DIDhub’s Decentralized Link Tree Guide

DIDhub has introduced an insightful guide on how to build a decentralized link tree using the combined powers of 1W3 and ENS. This method offers a decentralized and user-friendly hub of personalized links. — 10.11.23

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3numdao: Pioneering Decentralized, Blockchain-Integrated Phone Numbers

3numdao is introducing a web3-based mobile number system. They aim to modernize phone numbers by integrating them with the decentralized web, changing how we view and use mobile numbers. They’re using ENS names instead of traditional numbers for caller IDs, promoting privacy, security, and reduced spam. Those interested can learn more about the innovation on ENS Radio and sign-up for their beta here. — 10.18.23

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3DNS Announces Upcoming ENS Integration

3DNS is set to integrate with ENS in the coming weeks. Within an estimated eight-week timeframe, users of 3DNS will have the capability to effortlessly connect their ICANN compliant NFT domains with the functionalities provided by ENS, including the ability to send and receive cryptocurrency. As the decentralized web progresses, 3DNS is establishing itself as a central player. Learn more here. — 10.16.23

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OnThis.xyz: Focus on Improved UX with ENS Shortcuts

OnThis.xyz is pioneering ENS Shortcuts, aiming to improve the user experience. Recognized with three awards at ETHGlobal for their innovative approach, OnThis.xyz addresses Web3 UX challenges by simplifying complex DeFi interactions. Instead of multiple steps to transact, ENS Shortcuts allow users to execute actions such as swaps, staking, or bridging with just a single domain reference, like sending ETH to specific ENS domain names. This not only minimizes the risks like phishing but also makes operations quicker and more intuitive. For those intrigued, OnThis.XYZ offers a comprehensive look into these shortcuts and even provides a platform for users to create their own. — 10.19.23

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EthSign: Harnessing ENS for Enhanced Contract Signing

EthSign is using ENS to enhance digital contract signing. EthSign lets users have easy-to-read addresses on Ethereum:

Users can use ENS names as contract recipients. The system finds the related Ethereum wallet address automatically.
Contracts signed on EthSign will show the user’s ENS name, building trust.

EthSign aims to be the top platform for contract signing and is adding more features. You can try it out here. — 10.20.23

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Empowering Onchain Identity Education through Layer3 Quests

Recently, Layer3 unveiled an educational initiative aimed at empowering learners to explore the realm of web3 identity through ENS. Through a series of quests, learners can foster a deeper understanding and practical knowledge of their web3 identity, earning NFTs and experience along the way. Through this initiative, learners are encouraged to delve into the practical aspects of onchain identity, enriching their understanding and promoting a lively, curious community ready to engage with the crypto universe. Start your learner’s quest now. — 10.21.23

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Enhanced FriendTech Address Resolution: .frenzens.eth

0xflick introduced .frenzens.eth domain; it allows for the resolution of any Friendtech address using associated X handles and ENS subnames. For instance, to fetch any Friendtech address, one could utilize the ENS: 0xflick.frenzens.eth, as long as a valid X handle is registered on Friendtech. The mechanism behind this functionality involves a blend of CCIP offchain reads and a tailored ENS resolver. When a query for frenzens.eth is initiated, an onchain lookup is triggered, which then reverts with a pointer to a REST endpoint. Subsequently, this endpoint engages with the Friendtech API to retrieve the address and avatar, responding with a signed payload. ENS clients proceed to authenticate this payload onchain, ensuring its validity and origin from a reputable source before returning the resultant data. This system facilitates transparent offchain lookups for ENS sub-domains, bridging a significant functional enhancement to the existing infrastructure. Read about it here. — 10.20.23

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Working Group Bulletin

Q3/Q4 Lead Working Group Stewards + Secretary Appointment

Appointments:

Meta-Governance – @katherine.eth
ENS Ecosystem – @slobo.eth
Public Goods – @Coltron.eth
DAO Secretary - @limes

The responsibilities of the Lead Stewards & Secretary are set out in Rule 9.8 and Rule 9.9 of the Working Group Rules.

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ENS DAO Working Group Schedule (Q3/Q4 2023):

Meta-Governance @ 3PM UTC Tuesday — Google Meet
Public Goods @ 4pm UTC Tuesday — Google Meet
ENS Ecosystem @ 4pm UTC Thursday — Google Meet

Note: Working Group Budgets for Q3/Q4 are linked within each respective row.

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Meta-Governance

The Meta-Governance working group hosted its weekly meetings on October 10th, 2023 and October 17th, 2023:

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General DAO Updates

During last week’s Meta-Gov meeting, there were important updates regarding the general operations of the DAO. Specifically, the movement of funds related to [EP4.3] was discussed, with the execution of these funds currently in progress. It was anticipated that refunds for invalid names would be processed in the coming week.

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Budget Requests

The meeting also addressed budget requests from the three working groups. The purpose of these budget requests is to secure funding for a period of six months.

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Endowment Discussion

Lastly, there was a specific discussion led by @Karpatkey and @Steakhouse regarding the ENS Endowment. Karpatkey has been actively working towards increasing the rETH position while reducing the stETH position within the Endowment. This strategic move is significant in managing the DAO’s assets effectively.

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Endowment Report

The September Endowment report is now available on Karpatkey’s website, although there was a minor delay in publication due to a technical issue. The report provides a detailed overview of the endowment’s finances and allocations. A high level overview is made available below for reader-convenience:

1. Balance Overview:

Total funds in the endowment: $28,343,866
Capital utilization: 99.9%
Farming results: $99,344
Annual Percentage Yield (APY): 4.30%

2. Total Funds by Token Category:

54.14% in Ether
45.76% in Stablecoins
0.10% in Others

3. Treasury Variation:

The treasury balance increased from $27.97 million to $28.40 million during the reporting period.

4. Farming Funds and Results:

The largest portion of farming funds was allocated to Lido (37.96%)
Followed by Maker (26.35%)
CompoundV3 (19.46%)
Aura (10.63%)
Rocket (5.60%)

The endowment’s report provides a comprehensive view of its financial status and investments in various tokens and farming protocols. — 10.18.23

Note: Information available on the newsletter may not accurately reflect Karpatkey’s treasury report; please visit their site for the most accurate and up-to-date status on the Endowment.

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Public Goods

The Public Goods working group hosted its weekly meetings on October 10th, 2023 and October 17th, 2023:

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Public Goods Large Grants (Q4 2023)

The Public Goods Large Grants initiative for Q4 2023, led by the Public Goods working group, will offer up to 50k USDC to eligible Ethereum or Web3 public goods projects. This round aims to facilitate significant funding for foundational public goods in these ecosystems. A total of 100k USDC is available, with applicants requesting between 12k and 50k USDC. There’s a rolling deadline for submissions: October 31st and November 30th, with reviews by November 8th and December 5th respectively. The grants target projects categorized under Infrastructure, Tools, or Education. Read the full announcement here. — 10.18.23

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Ecosystem

The Ecosystem working group hosted its weekly meetings on October 12th, 2023 and October 19th, 2023:

Note: The ENS Ecosystem Working Group offers rolling grants, and applicants can apply anytime. The evaluation process takes around four weeks, and unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply in the future.

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Updates on Gasless DNSSEC Implementations

In recent developments within the DNSSEC sphere, there’s been significant excitement surrounding gasless implementations. On October 13th, in a response to an inquiry made by @clowstab, gregskril.eth confirmed that the DNSSEC Oracle Gateway is indeed open source. Previously, DNSSEC, which ensures users access the correct websites, required computational resources that resulted in gas fees. This new gateway reduces those costs and it’s open source. The advancement promises enhanced security and more affordable internet domain resolutions for everyone. For those interested in diving deep into its source code or contributing to its development, the DNSSEC Oracle Gateway can be accessed at its GitHub repository. — 10.13.23

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Project Highlights

1. Fluidkey | Antonio Seveso: Fluidkey is the winner of the overall ENS prize at ETH Rome. It allows users to generate an infinite number of stealth addresses when resolving ENS names. Addresses are controlled by the same key pair and appear together in FluidKeys UI. The project is in Alpha; sign up for updates on fluidkey.com.

2. 1W3 | @hidayath.eth: Announced their 1W3 Buildathon, submissions are accepted here. They also notified the community that Deform is now supported by 1W3.

3. Namehash Labs | @lightwalker.eth: Namehash Labs is an innovation network working on open source ENS-focused infrastructure and public goods. They’ve announced two projects:

Nameguard: Identifies impersonation attempts using ENS names. Features include ENS health checks, Smart Auto-Renewal, and ENS Profile Completion Score. Participating in ENS’s Small Grants round.
NameKit: Aims to reduce the cost and complexity of implementing ENS on wallets and dApps. It has four distinct ENS journeys: Find your ENS identity, Design your ENS identity, Interact with others, Manage your ENS identity. Will be open source and released by the end of 2023.

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ENS Ecosystem Fellowship

Premm.eth has been selected as the ENS Ecosystem Fellow for Term 4 in 2023, in recognition of their substantial contributions to the ENS (Ethereum Name Service) ecosystem since 2021.

Contributions:

Research and Bug Discovery: Premm discovered critical bugs in the NameWrapper smart contract and the DM3 Gateway code, preventing potential exploits.
Project Development: They played a key role in creating “Unruggable Names” on L1 and L2, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Community Support: Premm actively supported the ENS Ecosystem community at various Ethereum events.

Prize:

For their outstanding contributions, Premm.eth has been awarded a prize of USDC, to be distributed through a stream over the course of 6 months. This recognition and financial support from the Ecosystem Working Group Stewards further underscore their commitment to improving and safeguarding the ENS ecosystem, benefiting the community as a whole. Congratulations to Premm.eth for their achievements and dedication to building a stronger ENS ecosystem.

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Thank you very much for reading, take care!

ENS DAO Newsletter #46