When ENS first launched in 2017, .eth names were distributed through a Vickrey auction system. To participate, users placed a deposit (a "deed") for each name.
On 2 August 2020, nearly 280,000 names from that original auction were released, and their corresponding deposits became available for withdrawal. These deposits belong to the original registrants and can still be reclaimed.
Over 130,000 deeds remain unclaimed
Around 20,000 ETH is still waiting to be withdrawn
reclaim.ens.domains was created as a dedicated tool to help users check and reclaim their old deposits easily.
How to use the reclaim app
Go to reclaim.ens.domains
Search by:
Ethereum address, or
.eth name
View the results
No results found → No deed available to reclaim
Exact match → A name with a reclaimable deposit
Address search → Shows all deeds still tied to that address
Note: This tool looks up historical ownership — not current ENS ownership — to identify who originally placed the deposit.
How to Reclaim Your Deed
Connect Your Wallet
Automatically detects your address and displays any unclaimed deposits.Click "Prepare"
Select the name you wish to reclaim and initiate the onchain transaction.Confirm the Transaction
After confirming, the deposit will be returned directly to your wallet.
Only the original deed owner can redeem a deposit. For this reason, deposits cannot be batched into a single transaction.
For Developers
You can also explore the ENS Deed Reclaim Subgraph