Good to know
The Temporary Premium is a one-time cost, not an ongoing charge. Once you register, you only pay the standard annual renewal going forward.
Anyone can register the name during the 21-day window — so waiting carries the risk that someone else registers it first.
What is the temporary premium?
When a .eth name isn't renewed, it passes through a grace period. If no one renews it there either, it's released for anyone to register — but for a while it costs extra. That extra charge is the temporary premium.
The premium sits on top of the normal price as a one-time fee. It starts at $100 million and falls to $0 over 21 days. It drops fast at first, then slows as it nears zero, so the longer you wait, the closer the price gets to the usual yearly rate.
The high starting price isn't meant to be paid. It's there to stop bots grabbing names the moment they're free. Once the premium reaches zero, the name is open at the normal rate.
What should you do?
Wait for the price to drop. Open the name in the ENS App and check the decay chart — it shows the current price and how fast it's falling. The price falls over 21 days, but anyone can register the name at any point. If you wait, you risk someone else registering it before the price reaches your target.
Register now. If you need the name, register at the current premium price. You pay the premium today plus the normal registration fee — but the name is yours.
Wait out the full 21 days. Only works if nobody else registers the name first. If the 21-day window closes without anyone registering it, the premium drops to $0 and normal registration fees apply.
How does the price decay?
The fee starts at $100 million on day 1 and falls exponentially over 21 days until it reaches $0. The drop is fast early on and slows down as it approaches zero.
You can watch the price in real time in the ENS App — the name's page shows a live chart of the decay curve so you can see where it is now and when it will reach a level you're comfortable with.
Why does the starting price start at $100 million?
The $100M figure was never meant to be a price anyone pays. It's a deliberate barrier against sniping.
Before this mechanism existed, bots and traders would register any name the moment it expired. They paid thousands just to get there first. Ordinary users couldn't compete; names were gone before most people had a chance to see them.
Starting the premium at $100M and letting it fall over 21 days stops that. No bot can profitably front-run a three-week price decline, so every registrant has a fair window to wait and register at a price that makes sense for them.
What happens if nobody registers the name?
If nobody registers the name during the 21-day window, the premium drops to $0 and the name returns to normal registration fees — the same as any other available name. Nothing locks it away; you just register it like you would any open name.