ENS DAO Approves 'Next Era' Proposal and Launches ENS Foundation

The ENS DAO has voted to approve the 'Next Era of ENS DAO' proposal and completed its on-chain execution, formally establishing the ENS Foundation. The foundation will operate as a fully staffed organization with an executive director, a professional team, and a five-member board, taking on institutional responsibilities spanning legal affairs, policy engagement, standards development, and brand protection. ENS noted that while it has grown into key Ethereum infrastructure with millions of registered domain names and broad integration across wallets, applications, and Layer 2 networks, the DAO lacked a legal identity, which limited its ability to participate in internet naming governance, sign institutional agreements, hire full-time employees, maintain trademark rights, or join regulatory discussions. The new foundation is designed to fill that gap. Its future duties include representing ENS at ICANN, IETF, and W3C to advance recognition and management of the '.ens' top-level domain; engaging with regulators and government bodies as a legal entity; safeguarding ENS trademarks and intellectual property against phishing and impersonation; hiring full-time staff to run ecosystem operations, grants, and treasury management; and serving as the formal cooperation interface between traditional institutions such as registrars and standards organizations and the ENS ecosystem.