ENS Taps Taiko Stack For Namechain, Planning For Q2 2026 Testnet Launch
In Brief
ENS has selected the Taiko stack to build a fully based ZK rollup, setting a new standard for decentralized Ethereum infrastructure with a testnet planned for Q2 2026.
Ethereum Name Service (ENS), the most widely used naming protocol on Ethereum, announced that it has selected the Taiko stack as the foundation for Namechain, its dedicated zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup for decentralized naming services.
Namechain will be deployed as a fully based rollup using Surge, Nethermind’s framework built on Taiko technology. This marks a milestone for ENS, one of Ethereum’s key infrastructure protocols, as it adopts an architecture pioneered and production-ready through Taiko.
By committing to a based architecture from the outset, ENS validates Taiko’s approach to scaling, demonstrating that based rollups are ready for production and represent the next phase of Ethereum-aligned scaling solutions. Taiko’s technology allows Namechain to launch directly as a fully based rollup, bypassing the need for progressive decentralization.
Namechain Sets New Benchmark For Fully Decentralized, High-Performance Ethereum Rollups
Taiko has moved based sequencing from theory to practice. Since its mainnet launch in May 2024, the network has processed over 50 million transactions with zero downtime, achieving sub-second preconfirmations in production and enabling Ethereum validators to sequence L2 blocks efficiently and reliably, all while maintaining performance at scale without centralization.
ENS Labs highlighted their decision to adopt Surge for Namechain, noting the unique opportunity to bypass several steps in the traditional progressive decentralization model. By leveraging Surge, ENS was able to launch a fully based rollup with maximal decentralization from day one, aligning infrastructure deployment directly with their mission.
Building on Taiko’s technology via Nethermind’s Surge, Namechain inherits Ethereum-native sequencing without centralized operators, a Stage 1 rollup ready at launch with a clear path to Stage 2, and a battle-tested, open-source stack already proven on Taiko mainnet. This framework is credibly neutral and free from corporate capture.
Namechain addresses the need for near-instant, cross-chain name resolution with cryptographic security. Traditional Layer 2 solutions often require a tradeoff between decentralization and performance, but based rollups remove this compromise. Using Taiko’s preconfirmation technology, Namechain delivers state updates in seconds rather than hours, resolving long-standing CCIP-Read bottlenecks. Combined with TEE-backed proofs and based sequencing, the rollup provides institutional-grade performance while remaining fully decentralized from launch, made possible because Taiko deployed preconfirmations in production first.
If ENS, with its rigorous reliability requirements and deep Ethereum alignment, can build on this stack, it demonstrates that any application can. Namechain establishes a new standard for decentralized infrastructure, proving that based rollups are not merely theoretical but a practical solution for critical Ethereum systems.
As Namechain progresses through internal testing toward public testnet in Q2 2026 and its eventual mainnet launch, it will showcase at scale that Ethereum can be efficiently scaled without centralization. Nethermind supplies the infrastructure and Surge framework, Taiko provides the based sequencing and preconfirmation protocols, and ENS contributes product vision and naming expertise. This collaboration illustrates how open-source infrastructure can support mission-critical applications without vendor lock-in.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
