# Naming as a Coordination Layer for Web3 Identity | Makoto Inoue at Pragma Lisbon 2026

- Speakers: [Makoto Inoue](https://streameth.org/speakers/makoto-inoue)
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2026-09-09
- Duration: 19:36
- Topics: ETHGlobal, Pragma Lisbon 2026, Lisbon, 2026, Makoto Inoue, ENS, Ethereum Name Service, web3 identity, blockchain naming, forward resolution, reverse resolution, AI agent identity, onchain registry, digital identity, Pragma Lisbon, ENS identity, Ethereum naming, blockchain identity, web3 naming system, ENS reverse resolution, ENS forward resolution, onchain identity registry, Ethereum addresses, crypto domain names, decentralized identity, AI agent discovery
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-92pVZf8e6fs
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92pVZf8e6fs

## Description

Makoto Inoue, Protocol Developer at ENS, traces how naming in Ethereum evolved from a usability layer into coordination infrastructure for people, applications, and AI agents. He revisits ENS’s origins, forward resolution from names to addresses, and reverse resolution that lets wallets and applications display a verified name for an account. These simple mappings reduced the friction and danger of handling hexadecimal addresses, while later integrations showed that identity depends on coordination across wallets, applications, chains, and user interfaces, not only on owning a name. Inoue connects the protocol’s development to earlier internet naming systems while highlighting features unique to Ethereum. Forward resolution makes a name usable when sending assets, and reverse resolution lets an address declare the name applications should display. Wallets, dapps, and identity interfaces must agree on these conventions for the result to feel reliable. The growth of Layer 2 networks then introduced a new challenge: users expect one identity to remain useful even when records and applications operate across several execution environments.

As Ethereum scaled across Layer 2 networks and new execution environments, naming had to move beyond a single-chain registry experience. Inoue describes application-side patterns, text records, and emerging agent registries that can publish endpoints, metadata, and reputation signals. An ENS name can become a discovery point for an AI model, framework, repository, or role, allowing humans and software to find the services associated with an identity. His broader thesis is that web3 names are no longer just ownership badges: they are durable coordination anchors that help a fragmented internet resolve addresses, capabilities, and trusted context. The discussion moves from human accounts to software identities. AI agents may have separate roles for a model, a repository, a workspace, or an individual session, and those identities need ways to advertise capabilities. Onchain registries can hold metadata and reputation, while ENS text records can point to an MCP endpoint or other service description. An agent discovering a name can learn where to communicate, what the service supports, and which reputation system applies.

00:00 Introduction and ENS History
00:49 The Origin Story of Ethereum Naming
01:30 Ethereum Before the ENS Launch
02:28 The First Seed of ENS at Devcon Two
03:31 MetaMask and Browser Access to Ethereum
04:30 Forward Resolution for Ethereum Names
04:59 Early Wallet and Infrastructure Support
06:00 The Peak of ENS Registration
07:18 Reverse Resolution and Web3 Identity
07:59 WalletConnect and Application Identity
08:26 ENS Names as Login and Profile
09:26 High Mainnet Registration Costs
09:53 Ethereum Activity Moves to More Chains
10:22 The Multichain Address Problem
11:01 Multicoin Records and CCIP Read
11:42 Application-Side Naming Integration
12:19 Simpler Login Hides Web3 Identity
13:22 The Shift From Crypto to AI Agents
14:12 Identity for Models, Repositories, and Roles
15:15 Security Concerns for Many Agents
15:51 DNS and Payment Detail Protocols
16:35 Agent Registries, MCP, and Reputation
17:07 Connecting ENS Names to Agent Registries
17:32 Agents Can Handle Web3 Complexity
18:22 Making Crypto Relevant to AI Agents
19:06 Names as Coordination Points

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🇵🇹 *Pragma Lisbon 2026*
Pragma Lisbon 2026 was held on June 25th at the Carlos Lopes Pavillion in Lisbon, Portugal and was an in-person summit for builders and leaders in the web3 ecosystem. Watch the full Pragma Lisbon 2026 YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMxB4xW8JYdk

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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X: https://x.com/makoto_inoue

✅ Follow ENS
X: https://x.com/ensdomains

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Website: https://ethglobal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCfF9ZO8Ug4xk_AJd4aeT5HA 

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