ENS Co-Founder Blocks Security Council Renewal With 80% Vote

TLDR

• Nick Johnson voted against renewing the ENS DAO Security Council for two more years.
• Johnson used about 3.26M ENS tokens to block the on-chain renewal proposal.
• The vote raised concerns over token concentration in ENS DAO governance.
• ENS delegates are debating treasury control and the ENS Foundation’s role.
• A new eight-member Security Council proposal has a July 3 nomination deadline.

Ethereum Name Service co-founder Nick Johnson blocked a proposal to renew the ENS DAO Security Council for another two years after casting about 3.26 million ENS tokens against the measure.

The on-chain vote ended on June 30. Johnson’s vote represented roughly half of the active voting supply, giving his opposition enough weight to defeat the proposal regardless of how other delegates voted.

The result has widened debate inside ENS governance over treasury control, Security Council powers, and the role of the ENS Foundation. ENS was recently trading around $4.04 as the community reviewed new governance proposals.

Nick Johnson Votes Against Security Council Renewal

The rejected proposal had already passed an off-chain Snapshot vote before moving to a binding on-chain vote. Johnson abstained from the earlier Snapshot round but voted against the on-chain proposal when it reached the final stage.

Johnson said the current Security Council structure had unresolved problems. His concern centered on whether the council had enough checks on its power before receiving another two-year mandate.

The Security Council is meant to protect ENS governance from malicious proposals and other risks. However, the failed vote showed how token concentration can affect DAO decisions when a large holder enters a binding governance process.

Johnson’s 3.26 million ENS tokens gave him strong influence over the outcome. The vote has renewed debate over whether token-weighted governance gives too much control to large holders.

Alternative Council Proposal Gains Support

Johnson supported a separate proposal that would create an eight-member Security Council with stricter veto rules. Under that structure, five of eight members would need to agree before blocking a timelocked proposal marked as malicious.

The proposed 5/8 requirement would make it harder for a small group inside the council to block governance actions. Supporters say the change would add clearer limits to Security Council authority.

Nominations for the alternative council opened after the failed renewal vote. The nomination deadline is July 3, giving delegates a short period to review candidates and decide on the next structure.

The ENS DAO now faces a timing issue because the existing council renewal did not pass. Delegates must decide whether the alternative structure can protect governance while avoiding a wider concentration of power.

ENS Treasury Control Drives Governance Debate

The dispute comes as ENS DAO controls a large treasury. Reports placed the treasury value at about $350 million, while other estimates put it closer to $400 million. Excluding ENS tokens, the DAO reportedly holds about $88 million in other assets.

Several delegates have warned about a possible “RFV raid,” a governance risk where an actor gains enough voting power to push through proposals that drain treasury assets to tokenholders.

The treasury debate is also tied to a separate push to move more operations and treasury management authority to the ENS Foundation. Supporters say this could improve day-to-day execution and reduce governance delays.

Critics say the move could centralize power in a legal entity rather than keeping control with tokenholders. Some delegates have described the effort as a possible “governance attack,” while others argue that the DAO needs a clearer operating structure.

ENS Governance Faces Short Deadline

The failed vote has placed pressure on ENS delegates to settle the Security Council issue quickly. A DAO with a large treasury and no renewed council mandate may face added governance risk during disputes over treasury control.

There was no immediate major price reaction reported after the vote. The main focus remains on the alternative council proposal, the July 3 nomination deadline, and whether the new structure can gain enough support.

The next Security Council composition will show whether ENS governance is moving toward stronger safeguards or simply shifting influence between different groups.

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