ENS (Ethereum Naming Service) is a decentralized web3 identity and username platform. You may have seen many people displaying a .eth name as their Twitter username, these .eth names are ENS domains.

On a basic level, owning an ENS domain allows you to have a simple and human-friendly username that will redirect to your long and complicated wallet address. So, instead of having to remember or constantly copy a string like this:

You can instead just write or send people this:

This is somewhat similar to the DNS system of the traditional internet. When you type in “google.com”, under the surface it actually redirects you to a long and complicated IP address.

ENS domains can do a lot more than just be a handy shortcut, they can also act as your “web3” username and identity profile.

If you own an ENS domain inside your wallet and set it up correctly, your domain name will actually appear on most of the sites that you connect your wallet to. When you login to Uniswap using Rainbow, it actually recognizes your username and displays it.

ENS shows the powerful potential of web3. Instead of having to create individual accounts and profiles with every website (thereby relinquishing your data and control over to a centralized entity), you instead own your profile and identity and it goes around the web with you.

In this guide 👇, we’ll teach you how to purchase your first ENS domain directly using Rainbow!

Step 1: On your main wallet screen, click on the compass Discover icon

Step 2: Next, click the Register a .eth name button

Step 3: You can now search for an ENS name! Once you’ve found one that’s available, you can click the continue button

Step 6: Your purchase/transaction will begin and will be pending in the blockchain. This can take some time to move forward to the next step. If you’re interested in speeding up your transaction, you can click 🚀 Speed Up. For additional details, check out our article here: https://learn.rainbow.me/speed-up-a-transaction

Step 7: Once the request is complete, you’ll then be brought to a Reserving Your Name screen.

Step 9: You’ve done it! It may take a few moments for the transaction to complete, but once completed, you can head back to your wallet screen and view your ENS name under collectibles.

Step 10 (Optional): If you changed your mind and are looking to set your name to your wallet, you can expand that ENS name and click set as my ENS name. This step can be done at anytime!

Step 1: Go to the ENS registration website

Step 2: Type in the name you would like to register in the search bar

Step 3: If the name is still available, tap on it

Step 4: Next, connect your wallet to the ENS website by tapping on the hamburger menu icon in the top right of the navigation

Step 5: Tap the “Connect” button

Step 6: Select “WalletConnect” from the list of options

Step 7: Choose “Rainbow” from the list of wallets

Step 8: Confirm you want to open in Rainbow

Step 9: A connection prompt will appear inside the Rainbow app. Check to see if there is a blue checkmark indicating that you are connecting to the official website, then tap the “Connect” button

Step 10: Go back to the ENS website, review the cost breakdown of the domain, scroll down and tap the “Request to Register” button. Note: if you do not have enough ETH in your wallet to cover the cost of the transactions, you’ll need to add more ETH to your wallet

Step 11: Tap “Open in Rainbow” again

Step 12: A transaction request will appear in the Rainbow app. Review the transaction details and tap “Confirm” to authenticate the transaction using your device’s biometric or passcode

Step 13: Next, head back to the ENS website and wait a few minutes for the transaction to confirm and for the 1-minute wait period to complete

Step 14: After the 1-minute wait period is over, tap the “Register” button

Step 15: Tap “Open in Rainbow” again