ENS Old Registrar Deed Release Tool

Complete toolkit to release your ENS deeds from the old registrar and recover your locked ETH.

Old Registrar Contract: 0x6090A6e47849629b7245Dfa1Ca21D94cd15878Ef

📦 What's Included

• check_deeds.py - View-only script to check your deed status (no private key needed)
• release_ens_deeds.py - Full automated release tool (supports private key or mnemonic seed phrase)
• requirements.txt - Python dependencies

✨ Features

• 🔑 Flexible Authentication: Use either raw private key or BIP39 mnemonic seed phrase (12-24 words)
• ✅ Automatic Validation: Built-in validation for mnemonics, word count, and BIP39 checksum
• 🔒 Security First: Address verification before proceeding, sensitive data cleared from memory
• 📊 Batch Processing: Release multiple deeds in one session
• 🎯 Smart Detection: Automatically finds all your registered names
• 💰 Gas Optimization: Uses efficient gas settings for minimal transaction costs

🚀 Quick Start

Step 1: Configure Your Address

Before running the scripts, edit the Python files and replace the placeholder address:

In check_deeds.py:

YOUR_ADDRESS = "0xYourAddressHere"  # Replace with your Ethereum address

In release_ens_deeds.py:

YOUR_ADDRESS = "0xYourAddressHere"  # Replace with your Ethereum address

Optional: Configure Block Range (Speeds Up Scanning)

In check_deeds.py, you can narrow the block range to speed up scanning:

START_BLOCK = 3_605_331  # Start of scan range
END_BLOCK = 10_000_000    # End of scan range

How to find your block range:

1. Open Etherscan: Go to https://etherscan.io/address/YOUR_ADDRESS (replace with your address)
2. Navigate to Transactions: Click the "Transactions" tab
3. Find ENS Transactions:
   • Scroll through your transactions or use the search box
   • Look for transactions "To:" 0x6090A6e47849629b7245Dfa1Ca21D94cd15878Ef (ENS Old Registrar)
   • Common ENS methods: newBid, unsealBid, finalizeAuction
4. Note Block Numbers:
   • First ENS transaction: Click on it and find "Block" number
   • Last ENS transaction: Do the same for your last transaction
5. Calculate Range:
   • START_BLOCK = First_Block - 1000
   • END_BLOCK = Last_Block + 1000

Example:

First ENS transaction: Block 4008256
Last ENS transaction:  Block 4108256

→ START_BLOCK = 4007256 (4008256 - 1,000)
→ END_BLOCK   = 4109256  (4108256 + 1,000)

Why this helps:

• Default range scans 23,000 blocks (~3 days of Ethereum)
• Narrowing to your specific range can reduce scan time by 10-100x
• Helps avoid RPC rate limits on public endpoints
• Makes the tool more reliable and faster

Step 2: Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Check Your Deeds (Safe, No Private Key)

python check_deeds.py

This will show you:

• All ENS names you registered in the old registrar
• Which ones are releasable (1+ year old)
• How much ETH you can recover
• Current deed status

Step 4: Automated Release (Requires Private Key)

python release_ens_deeds.py

You'll need:

• Ethereum RPC URL (see RPC Configuration section below)
• Your wallet credentials (private key OR mnemonic seed phrase)
• ETH for gas fees (typically 0.00001-0.00003 ETH per deed at current gas prices)

The tool will:

1. Find all your deeds
2. Check which are releasable
3. Show you a summary
4. Ask for confirmation
5. Release all releasable deeds
6. Return the ETH to your wallet

Option: Manual Release via Etherscan

If you prefer not to use the automated scripts:

1. Go to the Old Registrar Contract on Etherscan
2. Connect your wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.)
3. Find the releaseDeed function
4. Enter your label hash (see "Finding Your Label Hash" section below)
5. Set gas limit to ~300,000
6. Submit the transaction

🔍 Finding Your Label Hash

The label hash is a cryptographic hash (keccak256) of your ENS name without the .eth suffix. You need this to manually release deeds via Etherscan or to add to KNOWN_DEED_MAPPINGS.

Method 1: Use check_deeds.py (Easiest)

Run the checker script - it automatically displays the label hash for each deed:

python check_deeds.py

Output will show:

📋 Deed #1
   Label Hash: 0xe4c631ca9a4f6a07ec48db28244ff17b2ac819cdee271615c7a403a39962ac95
   Value: 0.01 ETH
   ...

Method 2: Check Etherscan Events

1. Go to Etherscan (Old Registrar)
2. Click the "Events" tab
3. Filter by your address (in the search box)
4. Look for "HashRegistered" or "BidRevealed" events
5. The "hash" field contains your label hash

Example:

Event: HashRegistered
hash: 0xe4c631ca9a4f6a07ec48db28244ff17b2ac819cdee271615c7a403a39962ac95
owner: 0xYourAddress...
value: 10000000000000000 (0.01 ETH)

Method 3: Calculate It Yourself

If you know your ENS name, calculate the label hash:

Using Python:

from web3 import Web3

# For "myname.eth", use just "myname"
label = "myname"
label_hash = Web3.keccak(text=label).hex()
print(f"Label hash: {label_hash}")

Using Online Tools:

• Use a Keccak-256 calculator (e.g., https://emn178.github.io/online-tools/keccak_256.html)
• Input your ENS name without .eth (e.g., just "myname")
• The output is your label hash

Important: Use only the name part, not the full domain:

• ✅ Correct: myname → keccak256("myname")
• ❌ Wrong: myname.eth → keccak256("myname.eth")

⚙️ Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• pip
• Ethereum RPC access (see RPC Configuration below)

Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Or manually:

pip install web3>=6.0.0 eth-account>=0.8.0

🌐 RPC Configuration

The scripts use Ethereum RPC endpoints to communicate with the blockchain. You have several options:

Public RPC (Default)

The scripts are configured to use LlamaRPC by default:

https://eth.llamarpc.com

This is free and requires no API key, but may have rate limits.

Private RPC Providers (Recommended for Reliability)

For better reliability and higher rate limits, use a dedicated RPC provider:

Infura (Free tier available)

• Sign up: https://infura.io
• Get your API key
• RPC URL: https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_API_KEY

Alchemy (Free tier available)

• Sign up: https://alchemy.com
• Get your API key
• RPC URL: https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_API_KEY

QuickNode (Free trial available)

• Sign up: https://quicknode.com
• Get your endpoint
• RPC URL: https://YOUR_ENDPOINT.quiknode.pro/YOUR_API_KEY

To use a different RPC:

• Edit the PUBLIC_RPC variable in check_deeds.py
• Or provide it when prompted by release_ens_deeds.py

🔑 Wallet Input Methods

The release tool (release_ens_deeds.py) supports two ways to provide your wallet credentials:

Option 1: Raw Private Key

• Standard hex format (64 characters)
• Example: 0x1234567890abcdef...
• Works with all Ethereum wallets

Option 2: Mnemonic Seed Phrase (NEW)

• BIP39 standard mnemonic phrases
• Supports 12, 15, 18, 21, or 24 words
• Uses standard BIP44 Ethereum derivation path: m/44'/60'/0'/0/0
• Compatible with MetaMask, Ledger, Trezor, and other standard wallets

Features:

• ✅ Automatic validation of word count and BIP39 wordlist
• ✅ Shows derived address for verification before proceeding
• ✅ Requires explicit confirmation ("yes") to continue
• ✅ Handles whitespace normalization
• ✅ Clear error messages for invalid input

Security:

• Both methods clear sensitive data from memory after use
• No credentials are stored or logged
• All operations run locally on your machine

View-Only Mode:

• Press Enter without entering credentials to run in view-only mode
• View-only mode lets you check deed status without wallet access

📋 Understanding Deed Release

What is a Deed?

In the ENS old registrar (2017-2019), when you registered a name through auction, your bid amount was locked in a "deed" contract. This ETH has been locked since registration.

When Can I Release?

• Names must be at least 1 year old from registration date
• You must be the deed owner
• The deed must still be in "Owned" state

What Happens When I Release?

✅ You get: Your locked ETH deposit returned to your wallet
❌ You lose: The ENS name (it becomes available for anyone to register)

Why Release Instead of Migrate?

The migration period to the new permanent registrar ended on May 4, 2020. If you didn't migrate by then:

• You can no longer migrate the name
• The name is already available for others to register
• But you can still recover your deposit by releasing the deed

🔐 Security Notes

IMPORTANT:

• ⚠️ Never share your private key or mnemonic seed phrase
• ⚠️ Always verify contract addresses
• ⚠️ Scripts run locally on your machine
• ⚠️ Double-check transaction details before signing
• ⚠️ Verify the derived address when using mnemonic phrases

Contract Address Verification:

• Old Registrar: 0x6090A6e47849629b7245Dfa1Ca21D94cd15878Ef
• Always verify on: https://etherscan.io/address/0x6090A6e47849629b7245Dfa1Ca21D94cd15878Ef

💡 Usage Examples

Example 1: Check Status

$ python check_deeds.py

================================================================================
ENS Old Registrar Deed Checker
================================================================================

Your Address: 0xYourAddress...
Connecting to Ethereum...
✓ Connected to Ethereum
✓ Current block: 18500000

🔍 Searching for your registered names...

✓ Found 3 registered name(s)

================================================================================

📋 Deed #1
   Label Hash: 0x1234...
   Value: 0.05 ETH
   Registration Date: 2017-08-15 10:30:00
   Status: Owned
   Deed Address: 0xabcd...
   Deed Owner: 0xYourAddress...
   Deed Value: 0.05 ETH
   ✅ RELEASABLE (Age: 7.42 years)

================================================================================

📊 SUMMARY:
   Total names found: 3
   Releasable deeds: 2
   Total recoverable: 0.15 ETH

✅ You have 2 deed(s) ready to release!

Example 2: Release Deeds

$ python release_ens_deeds.py

================================================================================
ENS Old Registrar Deed Release Tool
================================================================================

Please configure your connection:

1. Enter your Ethereum RPC URL
   Examples:
   - Infura: https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_KEY
   - Alchemy: https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY
   - Local: http://localhost:8545

   RPC URL: https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_KEY

================================================================================
Wallet Input Method
================================================================================

Please select how you want to provide your wallet credentials:

  1. Private Key (hex format, 64 characters)
  2. Mnemonic Seed Phrase (12-24 words)

Enter your choice (1 or 2): 2

2. Enter your mnemonic seed phrase
   Supported: 12, 15, 18, 21, or 24 words
   ⚠️  WARNING: Never share your seed phrase!

   Mnemonic (or press Enter to skip): test test test test test test test test test test test junk

   Derivation path: m/44'/60'/0'/0/0
   Deriving address...

   Derived address: 0xf39Fd6e51aad88F6F4ce6aB8827279cffFb92266

   ⚠️  Please verify this is the correct address!
   Continue with this address? (yes/no): yes

✓ Connected to Ethereum node
✓ Wallet loaded: 0xYourAddress...
   Balance: 0.5 ETH

================================================================================

🚀 Starting batch deed release for 0xYourAddress...

📊 Checking deed status...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deed #1:
  Label Hash: 0x1234...
  Mode: Owned
  Value: 0.05 ETH
  Registration Date: 2017-08-15 10:30:00
  Releasable: ✓ YES

📈 Summary:
   Total deeds found: 3
   Releasable deeds: 2
   Total recoverable: 0.15 ETH

⚠️  WARNING: This will release 2 deeds
   Type 'yes' to continue: yes

[1/2] Releasing deed 0x1234...
📤 Sending transaction...
✓ Transaction sent: 0xabcd...
⏳ Waiting for confirmation...
✅ Deed released successfully!
   Transaction: https://etherscan.io/tx/0xabcd...

🎉 Batch release complete!
   Successful: 2/2

🛠️ Troubleshooting

"No registered names found"

• Verify you've configured YOUR_ADDRESS correctly in the script
• You may have registered under a different address
• Names may have already been released/migrated
• Try checking your address on Etherscan for ENS activity

"Deed not releasable yet"

• Names must be at least 1 year old from registration date
• Check the registration date in the output
• Wait until the required time has passed

"Transaction failed"

• Insufficient gas (try increasing to 300,000)
• Not the deed owner (verify you're using the correct wallet)
• Name already released
• RPC provider may not support transaction sending (try Infura or Alchemy)

"Failed to connect to Ethereum node"

• Check your RPC URL is correct
• Try a different RPC provider (see RPC Configuration section)
• Check your internet connection
• Verify API key is valid (for Infura/Alchemy)

RPC Rate Limiting

If you see rate limit errors with public RPC:

• Use a dedicated RPC provider (Infura, Alchemy)
• Add delays between requests
• Use the pre-computed deed mappings feature to avoid blockchain scans

"Invalid mnemonic phrase"

• Verify you have the correct number of words (12, 15, 18, 21, or 24)
• Check for typos - all words must be from the BIP39 wordlist
• Make sure you're using the recovery phrase, not a password
• Try copying and pasting if typing manually causes errors
• Some wallets use language-specific wordlists (tool supports English by default)

"Derived address doesn't match my wallet"

• Your wallet may use a non-standard derivation path
• You may be using a different account index (not the first account)
• Use option 1 (raw private key) instead of mnemonic
• Or export your private key from your wallet and use that

📚 Additional Resources

• ENS Documentation: https://docs.ens.domains/
• Old Registrar Contract: https://etherscan.io/address/0x6090A6e47849629b7245Dfa1Ca21D94cd15878Ef
• ENS Forum: https://discuss.ens.domains/
• ENS Discord: https://chat.ens.domains/

❓ FAQ

Q: Will I lose my ENS name?
A: Yes. Releasing the deed means the name goes back to the available pool. If you wanted to keep the name, you should have migrated it by May 4, 2020.

Q: How much ETH will I get back? A: You'll receive the exact amount you deposited when you won the auction (minus gas fees for the release transaction).

Q: Can I still use the name after releasing?
A: No, anyone can register it immediately after you release it.

Q: Is this safe?
A: Yes, this is the official ENS smart contract function. However, always verify addresses and be careful with your private key.

Q: What if I want to keep the name?
A: Unfortunately, the migration period ended in 2020. The name is likely already available for registration by others. You should recover your deposit.

Q: Gas fees? A: Gas fees vary with network conditions. As of January 2026, typical costs are:

• Normal conditions: 0.00001-0.00003 ETH per deed release (300,000 gas at ~0.04-0.1 Gwei)
• High congestion: Up to 0.0001-0.0005 ETH per transaction
• Check real-time prices at https://etherscan.io/gastracker

Q: Can I use my MetaMask seed phrase? A: Yes! The tool supports BIP39 mnemonic seed phrases (12-24 words). When you select option 2, enter your seed phrase and the tool will derive your wallet address using the standard Ethereum path (m/44'/60'/0'/0/0). You'll see the derived address and can verify it matches your wallet before proceeding.

Q: Which wallet derivation path is used for mnemonics? A: The tool uses the standard BIP44 Ethereum derivation path: m/44'/60'/0'/0/0. This is the default path used by MetaMask, Ledger, Trezor, and most Ethereum wallets for the first account.

Q: What if the derived address doesn't match my wallet? A: If the derived address doesn't match, you can cancel by typing "no" at the confirmation prompt. This may happen if your wallet uses a non-standard derivation path or if you're using a different account index. In that case, use option 1 (raw private key) instead.

⚖️ License & Disclaimer

This tool is provided as-is for educational and utility purposes. Always verify transactions before signing. The authors are not responsible for any loss of funds. Use at your own risk.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you find bugs or have improvements:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Submit a pull request

📄 License

This project is provided as-is under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• ENS team for the original smart contracts
• Ethereum community for documentation and support

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Last Updated: January 2026