Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has announced a major governance transition, saying it will move toward a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model while distributing ENS governance tokens to eligible domain users. The token airdrop opened on November 8, marking a significant step in handing decision-making power to the community.
ENS, which operates decentralized domain names on Ethereum, said that although many of its core functions already run without direct supervision, several important areas still require active human oversight. These include the multisig contract controlling the treasury, future fund management, and the registrar contract that governs domain pricing. According to ENS, DAO tooling and governance frameworks have matured enough to support this shift.
Delegate-Based Governance Model
Under the new structure, ENS will adopt a delegate model. Individuals can present their views and policy priorities to the community, and token holders can then delegate their voting power to representatives they support. This approach is designed to create a more organized governance process while allowing broader participation from the ENS user base.
25 Million Tokens Allocated for Airdrop
To help form the DAO, ENS said users and members will receive governance tokens based on their use of the platform’s services. A total of 25 million ENS tokens has been allocated for the airdrop. In addition, 25% of the token supply referenced in the announcement will go to the original ENS team and Discord contributors, while the remaining 50% will be assigned to the DAO treasury.
Constitution Vote Comes First
One of the ENS DAO’s earliest actions will be a vote on a proposed constitution intended to guide delegates on how ENS should be governed. The document identifies decentralization and integration as core principles, aiming to prevent governance proposals that conflict with those goals.
The airdrop has already generated strong interest across the crypto community, with many speculating about the token’s potential value and comparing it with previous Ethereum ecosystem airdrops. The report pointed to dYdX as a notable example, where some users said their token allocations were worth as much as $50,000. Against that backdrop, ENS’s governance overhaul is emerging as another closely watched experiment in decentralized coordination.