ENS subnames let a community, project, or organisation issue web3 identities to its members under one shared name.
What subnames are
Subnames sit under a name you already own. A community that owns example.eth can create:
alice.example.ethmod1.example.ethdelegate42.example.eth
These are real ENS names. Each can be configured on its own, and each can be set as someone's primary name.
Why communities use them
Shared identity — members carry the community's name while keeping their own profile.
Recognition — a subname signals affiliation with a known group.
Flexible control — the main name holder controls who gets one, and can delegate day-to-day management.
Onchain or offchain — issue and manage subnames fully onchain, on an L2, or offchain, depending on what you need.
Revenue — sell or rent subnames for paid memberships, supporter tiers, or identity-based products.
Who already does this
Base issues subnames on base.eth, Uniswap on uni.eth, Linea on linea.eth, and Coinbase on cb.id. See What are project subnames? for the current list and how they work.