As of yesterday, it is possible to use the Coinbase wallet with Ethereum (ETH) addresses via the simple ENS (Ethereum Name Service) to facilitate the sending and receiving of funds.

Send crypto more easily with Coinbase Wallet! Introducing simpler sends to Wallet usernames, @ensdomains, and your Coinbase account. Let’s make crypto easy to use for everyone!https://t.co/PKTrG1B5eI pic.twitter.com/oTzsFTD3Kx — Coinbase Wallet (@CoinbaseWallet) February 25, 2020

One of the problems related to most blockchains is the sending and receiving address which, as designed, is a long alphanumeric string that is difficult to remember by heart and that is prone to errors when transcribing it.

A solution to this is offered by the ENS (Ethereum Name Service) which allows the address to be transformed into a readable and easy to remember format, with .eth as an extension, based on the blockchain.

The same Vitalik Buterin uses this system directly on his official Twitter account to promote the service and give an example of how it can be integrated into other platforms.

How to use ENS on the Coinbase wallet

Thanks to this new service integrated into the Coinbase wallet, users will be able to send and receive all Ethereum-based cryptocurrencies and tokens. Additionally, Coinbase supports crypto assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Ethereum Classic (ETC), XRP, Stellar Lumens (XLM) and Dogecoin (DOGE).

Users can buy their own .eth address directly on the website or on the Coinbase app itself.

ENS and the privacy issue

Although this is an interesting service that facilitates the exchange of assets, there is still the problem of privacy: as seen recently, it is all too easy to associate the address to a specific person and use this information against the owner, which is why users are encouraged to use ENS wisely and not as the main address of their funds.