Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is solidifying its position as the universal naming standard for the decentralized web. As of February 16, 2026, ENS registrations continue to grow, driven not just by speculation on premium domain names, but by practical utility. Users are increasingly adopting .eth names to simplify crypto payments and establish a portable Web3 identity that works across dApps, wallets, and even traditional web browsers with new integration plugins. The DAO governing the protocol continues to innovate, exploring Layer-2 expansions to reduce registration costs. The ENS token acts as the governance instrument for this critical infrastructure. Recent proposals to monetize the treasury and incentivize wider integration have been well-received by the market. Unlike many governance tokens that lack clear value accrual, ENS benefits from the tangible revenue generated by domain registrations and renewals. The market views ENS as a blue-chip asset in the 'identity' vertical of crypto. Technical analysis shows the token trading in a healthy uptrend, correlating with the general growth of active Ethereum users.