ENS Labs proposes ENSv2 activation that would halt new ENSv1 registrations

ENS Labs wants to close the front door on ENSv1. The doors already inside stay open. On October 11, 2026, the team behind the Ethereum Name Service posted a draft proposal to the ENS DAO Governance Forum. It would activate ENSv2 on Ethereum mainnet and stop new .eth registrations on the current v1 registrar. Existing owners would keep their names and could renew them on v1 with no deadline to move. What the proposal would actually do Once the DAO executes the proposal, the v1 registrar would stop accepting new .eth names. Renewals for existing v1 names would run through a new contract called ETHRenewerV1. Owners who prefer v1 can stay there indefinitely by renewing. There is no forced migration and no cutoff date. If a v1 name expires, it becomes available for registration on v2. Before v2 opens for registrations and resolution, ENS Labs would run a pre-migration sync. The goal is to preserve every active v1 name for its current owner, so the new system recognizes who holds what from day one. The proposal needs only a single DAO vote to put these changes into effect. ENS Labs hands over the keys After activation, every administrative role tied to ENSv2 would move to the ENS DAO, re...