Google Search Now Supports Ethereum Name Service: Here’s What it Means

This development now makes it easier for people to search for any name based on the ENS domain signified by ‘.eth’.

Written by Radhika Parashar, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 11 October 2024 18:42 IST

Google Search Now Supports Ethereum Name Service: Here’s What it Means

Photo Credit: X/ ENS

Around July 2022, ENS addresses were among the most popular liquid virtual assets for trading

Highlights

ENS was conceptualised by former Google engineer Nick Johnson
The first batch of .eth names were minted in 2017
ENS can be explained as a decentralised domain name protocol

Google, which has recently been found to be holding a monopoly on web search, has taken a crypto-friendly decision amidst its ongoing legal battles in the US and the EU. As per a fresh update, Google has fully completed the integratigration of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) into Search. This feature was being tested with select users for a while and has not been made live for Google's global users. Former Google engineer Nick Johnson presented the concept of ENS to the Ethereum Foundation in April 2016, following which, in May 2017, the first batch of ENS names were minted.

This development now makes it easier for people to search for any name based on the ENS domain, signified by ‘.eth'.

ENS can be explained as a decentralised domain name protocol. These Ethereum-based name domains are used by crypto users who wish to simplify complicated Ethereum wallet addresses to make them readable by humans. Otherwise, crypto wallet addresses usually comprise a bunch of random alphabets and digits that are not only difficult to remember in sequence but also maintain that these addresses are only readable by computers.

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Nalin Mittal, product manager for Web3 at Google, was the first to confirm the development of X, explaining its utility.

“You all asked for @ensdomains integration, and it's live. You can search for any .eth name and get the balance right in Google Search! Kudos to the Search team for fully rolling this out!” Mittal posted on October 9.

Around July 2022, ENS addresses emerged among the most popular liquid assets trading on marketplaces for virtual assets. Usually, easier ENS domains like ‘xyz.eth' are usually more in value than others like ‘asd1as.eth'.

The same year, Google had reportedly first introduced this ENS feature to let Ethereum wallet holders track their Ether balances directly through search results.

Nike's Web3 arm called ‘RTFKT' and Puma are among global brands that have purchased ENS domains in the past.

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Further reading: Cryptocurrency, Google, ENS, Ethereum Name Service, Search

Radhika Parashar

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Radhika Parashar is a senior correspondent for Gadgets 360. She has been reporting on tech and telecom for the last three years now and will be focussing on writing about all things crypto. Besides this, she is a major sitcom nerd and often replies in Chandler Bing and Michael Scott references. For tips or queries you could reach out to her at RadhikaP@ndtv.com. More