{"id":"ERC-162","name":"ENS .eth Registrar","status":"Final","chain":"ethereum","category":{"id":"comprehension","name":"Comprehension & Display","description":"Making blockchain data readable to humans"},"journeyStages":[{"id":"authentication","name":"Authentication & Identity","description":"Proving who you are and logging in"}],"uxImpact":"Users acquire ENS names through blind auctions — bid privately, highest bidder wins, pays second-highest price. Design implications: guide users through 3-day bid reveal process with timeline UI, show deposit/refund status clearly, explain Vickrey auction mechanics simply, countdown timers for auction phases. Design decisions: how much auction complexity to expose vs abstract away, whether to show competitor activity, handling the 72hr bidding + 48hr reveal lifecycle, surfacing name availability timing.","hasDetailedContent":true,"content":{"id":"ERC-162","sources":[{"label":"Official specification","url":"https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/erc-162","type":"official-spec"}],"lastReviewed":"2026-05-25","lastUpdated":"2026-05-25","summary":"Users acquire ENS names through blind auctions — bid privately, highest bidder wins, pays second-highest price.","designerTakeaways":["You can show auction phases on a timeline with countdown timers.","Your reveal flow can explain why revealing matters before deadline.","You can surface deposit and refund status clearly."],"applicability":{"whenToUse":["Your product helps users acquire ENS .eth names.","Auction mechanics need step-by-step guidance.","Users must manage bid reveal deadlines."],"whenToAvoid":["Names acquired via direct purchase or L2 gateways only.","Your app does not touch ENS registration.","Users only resolve names, never register."]},"prototypeFirst":[{"screen":"Primary happy path","why":"Prove the core user promise before edge cases.","covers":["Success state","Clear outcome copy"],"include":["Primary CTA","Confirmation feedback","Next step"]},{"screen":"Blocked or unsupported state","why":"Users discover limits when wallets or chains lack support.","covers":["Unsupported wallet","Wrong network"],"include":["Plain-language reason","Fallback action"]},{"screen":"Failure recovery","why":"Trust breaks when errors look like bugs.","covers":["User rejection","Transaction revert"],"include":["Retry path","Support context"]},{"screen":"Advanced disclosure","why":"Power users need technical detail without cluttering the default path.","covers":["Contract address","Token ID","Raw status"],"include":["Expandable section","Copy buttons","Explorer link"]}],"mentalModel":[{"label":"Commit phase","description":"Bidders submit a hidden hash of their bid plus deposit. The UI must explain that bids are sealed until reveal."},{"label":"Reveal phase","description":"Before deadline, bidders reveal actual bid amount. Missing reveal loses the deposit, so countdown UX is critical."},{"label":"Auction close","description":"Highest valid bid wins the name. Second-price rules mean the winner pays one increment above the second-highest bid."},{"label":"Settlement","description":"Winner receives the name registration, losers get deposits back minus gas. Show refund status for non-winners."},{"label":"Registration","description":"After winning, the name follows normal ENS lifecycle. Connect auction outcome to name management in your product."}],"statesToDesign":[{"state":"Ready","trigger":"Prerequisites met.","userNeed":"Understand what happens next.","designResponse":"Enable primary action with plain-language preview."},{"state":"Awaiting signature","trigger":"Wallet prompt open.","userNeed":"Know what they are approving.","designResponse":"Mirror human-readable summary in app and wallet."},{"state":"Pending","trigger":"Transaction submitted.","userNeed":"Confidence it is progressing.","designResponse":"Show status strip with explorer link."},{"state":"Succeeded","trigger":"On-chain confirmation.","userNeed":"See updated ownership or balance.","designResponse":"Celebrate outcome and show new state clearly."},{"state":"Failed or reverted","trigger":"Validation or execution failed.","userNeed":"Fix or retry without guessing.","designResponse":"Name the failed constraint and offer a concrete next step."}],"designDecisions":[{"question":"How much protocol detail do users see?","recommendation":"Lead with outcomes; tuck identifiers behind review.","rationale":"Users decide on consequences, not function selectors."},{"question":"What happens when support is missing?","recommendation":"Block with explanation and fallback path.","rationale":"Silent failure feels like a broken product."},{"question":"How do you label restricted assets?","recommendation":"Use persistent badges for non-transferable, locked, or expiring states.","rationale":"Hidden restrictions cause rage-quits at transfer time."}],"problemsSolved":[{"problem":"Inconsistent behavior across apps","oldWay":"Each team reinvents copy and edge cases","newWay":"Shared standard gives predictable UX patterns","impact":"high"},{"problem":"Users surprised by on-chain rules","oldWay":"Generic transfer UI fails at submit time","newWay":"Standard-aware UI sets expectations upfront","impact":"high"},{"problem":"Support burden from opaque errors","oldWay":"Raw revert reasons in toasts","newWay":"Mapped states explain what to do next","impact":"medium"}],"uxPatterns":[{"name":"Auction Phase Timeline","description":"Visual timeline of bid, reveal, and settlement.","mockup":"concept/nft-gallery","components":["PhaseTimeline","CountdownTimer","PhaseLabel"],"userFlow":["User starts bid","Timeline shows current phase","Countdown to reveal deadline","Settlement shows final price"]},{"name":"Reveal Reminder","description":"Prominent reminder before reveal deadline.","mockup":"concept/verify-safety","components":["RevealBanner","RevealCTA"],"userFlow":["Bid period ends","Reminder appears","User reveals bid","Avoids lost deposit"]}],"seenInTheWild":[{"app":"ENS App","url":"https://app.ens.domains/","note":"Primary interface for .eth name registration and auctions."},{"app":"ENS Vision","url":"https://ens.vision/","note":"Market analytics for ENS name availability and pricing."},{"app":"OpenSea ENS","url":"https://opensea.io/collection/ens","note":"Secondary market for acquired ENS names."}],"antiPatterns":[{"pattern":"Hiding standard-imposed restrictions until submit","why":"Users feel tricked when actions fail at the last step","instead":"Show eligibility and badges before the primary CTA","severity":"critical"},{"pattern":"Protocol jargon in user-facing copy","why":"Non-technical users cannot consent informedly","instead":"Use outcome language with optional technical disclosure","severity":"high"},{"pattern":"No fallback when wallet lacks support","why":"Dead-end flows increase churn","instead":"Explain limitation and offer alternate path or network","severity":"high"}],"vocabulary":[{"use":"Your balance / Your item","avoid":"Token ID / Token contract","why":"Ownership language matches mental models."},{"use":"Cannot transfer yet","avoid":"Transfer reverted","why":"Explain restriction without EVM vocabulary."},{"use":"Confirm in wallet","avoid":"Sign transaction","why":"Matches wallet UX users already know."}],"technicalNotes":"ERC-162 Vickrey auctions require reveal within 48 hours or bids are lost.","relatedStandards":[{"id":"ERC-137","relationship":"Forward resolution for registered names"},{"id":"ERC-181","relationship":"Reverse resolution after registration"}]},"sources":[{"label":"Official specification","url":"https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/erc-162","type":"official-spec"},{"label":"Discussion","url":"https://ethereum-magicians.org/search?q=ERC-162","type":"discussion"},{"label":"Official specification","url":"https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/erc-162","type":"official-spec"}],"urls":{"canonical":"https://www.eipsfordesigners.com/standards/ERC-162","markdown":"https://www.eipsfordesigners.com/standards/ERC-162/content.md","agent":"https://www.eipsfordesigners.com/standards/ERC-162/agent.md","api":"https://www.eipsfordesigners.com/api/standards/ERC-162","official":"https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/erc-162","discussion":"https://ethereum-magicians.org/search?q=ERC-162"},"freshness":{"lastReviewed":"2026-05-25","lastUpdated":"2026-05-25"}}