Problem

Today, crypto users have to do one of the following in order to make relevant use and access of their ENS domains i.e. resolve their websites and blogs with their ENS in their browser:

• Rely on third-party sites such as eth.limo and eth.co
• Use specialised web browsers such as Brave and Opera
• Install special browser plugins such as 1W3

This adds an extra point of friction for the average crypto user, who already deals with a lot of friction, and we want to change that.

Solution

If there’s one thing every crypto user has in common, with regard to their lifestyle, it’s that they both have a crypto wallet software and it’s installed as an extension.

The idea is to leverage and build on top of this common characteristic by developing an open-source standard for Ethereum Name Service (ENS). This standard can be implemented in any Ethereum or non-Ethereum wallet software, enabling ENS domain resolution directly via those wallet software (extensions) that already run in the browser of the average crypto user. This means that crypto users will be able to resolve their address without installing any special browser or plugin. Rather, they can just have the general-purpose wallet software that they know and love.

This endeavour will require two stages:

Stage 1: Solution Research, Prototyping, and Proposing: This stage will involve the initial research work and prototyping to arrive at a general workable standard that can be proposed first as an ENSIP and then as an ERC standard. Ideally, we can find a dedicated wallet software to integrate and showcase the progress made.

Stage 2: Building further relationships with various wallet teams to boost integration and proliferation of the standard.

This ENS Small Grants proposal is intended to kickstart Stage 1.