Google now displays Ethereum Name Service (ENS) addresses.
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Key Takeaways
Google search engine now displays Ethereum Name Service (ENS) address data.
There are now over two million ENS addresses.
ENS has also secured a partnership with domain registrar GoDaddy.
Google has now integrated the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) data into its search results using data sourced from Etherscan.
Search results now display detailed address data, including wallet balance or a timestamp of the last transaction. This, therefore, brings Web3 technology to the forefront of one of the most popular and powerful websites on the net.
ENS on Google
In yet another watershed moment for the crypto and Web3 world, you can now search using the ENS suffix “.eth” such as Vitalik.eth, and see wallet details displayed at the top of the search.
The latest move underlines the increasing legitimacy of Web3 technology as a staple of modern life. It also demonstrates Google’s increasing involvement with crypto and blockchain.
The integration with ENS may well be a step forward for the legitimacy of Web3. However, it also raises some questions regarding data privacy and security.
Arguably, this data is already publicly available as it’s the blockchain after all, but it does put .eth addresses onto a search engine that handles two trillion searches every year. That said, many in the community see the humor in it, because now everyone can see how poor you are.
Google has had an interesting relationship with crypto, being a major investor in Dapper Labs through its financial arm, Google Ventures. It has also made investments in Ripple (XRP), Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creators Yuga Labs, Helium (HNT), and others.
These forays into crypto have seen the tech giant revise its advertising policy for crypto to allow ‘Cryptocurrency Coin Trust’ advertisements to run for US consumers. As defined by Google, this type of company offers financial products by allowing investors to trade shares in trusts that hold significant digital currency pools.
Businesses accepting virtual currencies or that sell mining hardware can also advertise on Google, through non-fungible token (NFT) games that sell in-game items such as characters, weaponry, armor, and so on, are only allowed so long as they’re consumed in-game.
Outright bans on adverts for initial coin offerings (ICOs), decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and other crypto ventures not under the scope of present regulatory frameworks, which also include crypto loans, token liquidity pools, and unhosted software wallets, remain in place.
What’s Next?
The newly established partnership between ENS and GoDaddy also hints at things to come, because now users can link their internet domains to ENS addresses for free, quite literally building a bridge between Web2 and Web3 domain names and technologies.
Speculatively, we could see further advancements in Google’s search engine interface sometime soon. It could also see new novel applications of ENS or other blockchain-based data sources integrated into Google’s vast suite of products in some shape or form.
Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
