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ENS Settles Legal Dispute Over eth.link Domain

ENS settles legal dispute over eth.link domain, agreeing to pay $300,000 to Manifold Finance. ENS retains ownership of the domain, ending an 18-month-long saga.

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is set to end its legal battle with Manifold Finance over ownership of the eth.link domain after its DAO approved a $300,000 settlement to Manifold. The settlement, approved by 88% of the DAO, allows ENS Labs to retain ownership of the domain while dropping the lawsuit against Manifold. Additionally, the DAO approved a $750,000 reimbursement of ENS Labs' legal costs.

Background of the Dispute

The dispute over the eth.link domain began when ENS Labs sued Manifold and domain registrars GoDaddy and Dynadot in an Arizona District Court to stop the transfer of the domain from its ownership. The domain had expired in July 2022, and Manifold purchased it at auction on Dynadot. ENS Labs won a court order to stop the domain transfer, leading to months of legal arguments.

Settlement Terms

Manifold's settlement terms demanded $300,000 from ENS Labs, along with confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses. In return, ENS Labs will retain ownership of the eth.link domain, and the case will be dismissed.

Despite the legal dispute, ENS and GoDaddy have partnered to offer .eth ENS domain holders the ability to link their domains with traditional domains for free, indicating a resolution of their differences.

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