Ethereum Name Service co-founder Nick Johnson blocked the renewal of the ENS DAO Security Council with approximately 80% of votes cast in an executable onchain vote that closes July 5 at 8:59 PM. Johnson voted against the measure despite an earlier Snapshot vote passing, citing concerns that current Security Council members intend to use veto power to stop proposals they personally disagree with. The controversy has intensified ongoing debates within the ENS DAO about governance centralization and voting power concentration, with Johnson holding an estimated 3.26 million ENS tokens representing roughly 80% of votes cast in the recent executable vote.
Johnson Defends Vote as Standard Process
Johnson told The Block that his participation followed standard process and reflected substantive concerns. "There were two Security Council votes --- the Snapshot vote followed by the executable vote. I abstained on the SC vote with a message explaining that I supported SC renewal but not with the current slate of members. I voted against the executable vote because nothing was done to address those concerns," Johnson stated.
The votes involved two stages: an initial off-chain Snapshot vote followed by an onchain executable proposal. The measure sought to renew the Security Council for another two-year term ahead of its current authority expiring July 24, 2026. The executable onchain vote currently stands at 82% "no," with Johnson's significant voting share.
In a comment on the voting platform, Johnson stated that "members of the current SC have made it clear that they intend to use their veto power to stop proposals they personally disagree with." He added, "The security council must exist as a backstop against compromise and violations of the ENS constitution, not as political officers."
Community Members Criticize Voting Concentration
Brantly Millegan, a longtime ENS contributor, said on X that "The moral and usage implosion of ENS is a catastrophe for Ethereum," posting screenshots showing that Johnson's nick.eth address dominated the executable vote.
"And with that, ENS DAO is dead," Rotki founder Lefteris Karapetsas said on X, referencing Johnson's voting concentration. Karapetsas would be rotated out of the Security Council due to his reported DAO inactivity, according to the vote.
Johnson holds around 3.26 million ENS tokens, representing about 50% of all ENS tokens currently delegated to any ENS delegate. Ethereum commentator colludingnode said on X, "If a crisis like this is even remotely possible, it's not good enough for Ethereum. ENS is done." He updated his X profile to colludingnode.gwei, showcasing an alternative Ethereum address service for .gwei names.
ENS Foundation Consolidation Proposal Submitted Earlier This Month
Earlier this month, ENS Labs COO Katherine Wu submitted a temp check proposal to consolidate day-to-day treasury management, endowment oversight, grant administration duties, and other operations from the ENS DAO to the ENS Foundation. The ENS Foundation is governed by a five-seat board including Johnson.
New Security Council Proposal Requires 5/8 Approval Threshold
Wu submitted another Security Council proposal on Tuesday to establish an eight-member successor council. The new organization would retain the power to reverse DAO votes but would require a stricter 5/8 approval threshold, up from the current 4/8. Wu argued the current arrangement had granted "extraordinary power" to the Security Council.
The proposal is seeking feedback up until July 3 at 11:59 PM UTC. In a comment on that proposal, Johnson said he agreed with "the new security council mandate and charter."
Earlier this year, ENS Labs canceled the launch of its bespoke Namechain Layer 2, which began development in 2024. The updated ENSv2 protocol will deploy on the Ethereum mainnet instead.
FAQ
What did Nick Johnson do in the ENS Security Council vote?
Nick Johnson voted against the executable onchain proposal to renew the ENS DAO Security Council, with his votes representing approximately 80% of votes cast. He abstained on the earlier Snapshot vote, explaining that he supported Security Council renewal but not with the current slate of members.
When does the ENS Security Council vote close?
The executable onchain vote closes July 5 at 8:59 PM. The current Security Council's authority expires July 24, 2026.
How many ENS tokens does Nick Johnson hold?
Johnson holds an estimated 3.26 million ENS tokens, representing about 50% of all ENS tokens currently delegated to any ENS delegate and roughly 80% of votes cast in the recent executable vote.
