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Blogs

Testing the Classifier: What a Blind Comparison Revealed About Domain Namespaces

A blind comparison of domain classification results found strong agreement for investor-pattern names but lower recall for operator-aligned names, raising questions about earlier namespace composition estimates and the limits of structural classification.

The Domain Trust Badge: Making Anti-Abuse Work Visible

The Domain Trust Badge pilot introduces a voluntary framework for registries and registrars to demonstrate effective anti-abuse practices through 17 requirements, evidence-based validation and a new metric measuring abuse mitigation performance.

Pakistan’s .PK Is Now DNSSEC-Signed, but Only One Domain Validates

Pakistan's .pk domain has gained DNSSEC protection, but an October 11 scan found just one fully validating domain among 158,561 examined. Another 1,230 signed domains lack the parent-zone records needed to establish trust.

What ICANN’s Contention Sets Reveal About New gTLD Values

ICANN's Reveal Day list holds 263 contention sets. With private deals banned this round, any set that reaches an ICANN auction will end in a public price. The 2012 auctions show why the number of bidders is a weak guide to that price.

ICANN’s New gTLD Round Draws 16 African Applications, 10 Controlled by a Chinese Business Network

A Seychelles company controlled by Lu Heng accounts for 10 of Africa's 16 new gTLD applications, linking ICANN's domain expansion to commercial interests and an ongoing dispute over AFRINIC's governance and IPv4 resources.

Why So Many .do Domains Lack Functioning Websites: Exploring Strategic Uses of the Dominican Republic’s ccTLD

An analysis of 41,140 Dominican Republic .do domains reveals widespread website inactivity and distinctive naming patterns, raising questions about domain speculation, brand protection and the international appeal of the country's Internet namespace.

From Apps to Agents: How the 2026 New gTLD Strings Mirror a Changed Internet

ICANN's 2026 new gTLD applications reveal a shift toward AI agents, developer infrastructure and digital trust, with .agent replacing .app as the most contested string amid growing competition and persistent geographic disparities.

Big Brands, Bold Moves: The 2026 dotBrand Wave

ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round attracted 333 dotBrand applications, representing 20.6% of submissions. Participation across major industries reflects growing interest in controlling branded namespaces and strengthening enterprise digital identity.

The Namespace You Plan - and the One That Takes Shape

Structural analysis of four established gTLD namespaces suggests registration totals alone offer an incomplete picture. Tracking composition alongside operational data could help new registry operators investigate whether their namespaces are developing as intended.

How CZDS Zone Data Helps Detect Domain Abuse

Daily CZDS zone data can help brand owners and investigators detect suspicious domain registrations earlier, trace related infrastructure, monitor expired names, and shift enforcement from reactive disputes toward faster, evidence-based intervention.

Two Years After His Arrest, Pavel Durov Wants to Run His Own Registry

Telegram says it has applied for .gram, potentially giving a billion users DNS addresses while putting its governance, abuse controls, legal exposure and infrastructure under scrutiny as ICANN prepares to reveal applications.

auDA Moves to Tighten .com.au and .net.au Eligibility: What the Coming Changes Mean for Registrants

auDA has approved in principle tighter .com.au and .net.au eligibility rules that would limit registrations to domains matching a registrant's business name or Australian trademark, with implementation details and timing still pending.

15th Registration Operations Workshop, September 29, 2026, 13:00 - 17:00 UTC

The 15th Registration Operations Workshop convenes domain name and DNS professionals September 29 for technical sessions on mTLS, RPKI, DNS resilience, delegations, DNSSEC, registrar concentration, dispute proceedings and alternative naming systems.

Thirty-Five Years Later, Moscow Comes Looking for the Soviet Union’s Domain

Russia is imposing state identity verification on .su, the Soviet Union's surviving domain, as researchers uncover criminal infrastructure across the namespace and ICANN pursues a retirement process that could eventually remove it from the global root.

The Last gTLD Round Taught Us the Wrong Lessons

Fourteen years after ICANN's last gTLD expansion, registration figures offer an incomplete verdict. The next round will test whether applicants can build namespaces with enduring relevance, rather than merely generating impressive launch volumes and revenues.

News Briefs

ICANN Opens Consultation on Security Requirements for DNSSEC DS Automation

Trump Organization Seeks .trump Top-Level Domain in ICANN’s 2026 Application Round

OpenAI, Meta and Registry Operators Seek New gTLDs as .agent Draws 13 Applications

ICANN Expands Second-Level IDN Rules With Javanese and Canadian Aboriginal Scripts

.si Registrations Surge After US Shift to ‘Super Intelligence’

ICANN Commenters Urge Limits on Proposed Domain Abuse Checks

ICANN Comment Period Closes on Linking gTLDs With Alternative Naming Systems

ICANN’s New Data Sharpens the Picture of DNS-abuse Enforcement

ICANN to Shut Down Open Data Platform and API September 1

After the Close: What the 2026 gTLD Round Has Already Revealed

ICANN’s New gTLD Application Window Set to Close, Capping a Landmark Expansion Round

CENTR Warns Against Excessive Burdens in EU Cybersecurity Overhaul

DNS Censorship Report Warns of Rising Domain Suspensions

ICANN Opens New gTLD Applications for First Time Since 2012, With $227K Entry Fee and 27 Scripts

14th Registration Operations Workshop Set for September 30, 2025

The Edgemoor Research Institute and TWNIC Launch Project Jake to Advance DNS Security and Data Transparency

ICANN Warns of Governance Crisis at AFRINIC Amid Allegations and Legal Challenges

ICANN Warns of Possible Sanctions Over AFRINIC Election Irregularities

ICANN Demands Fairness in AFRINIC Board Elections Amid Governance Concerns

ccTLD Registries Push Back Against EU’s Disinformation Crackdown

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Taking Back the DNS

When Registrars Look the Other Way, Drug-Dealers Get Paid

Ask Vint Cerf: The Road Ahead for Top-Level Domains

Who Is Blocking WHOIS? Part 2

ICANN Complaint System Easily Gamed

Industry Updates

The Domain Industry’s Next Growth Phase Is About Value, Not Volume

Registration Opens for the 2026 .US Town Hall Featuring Internet Policy Pioneer Karen Rose

Young Entrepreneurs Are Delaying Domain Adoption, Not Abandoning It

Applying for a TLD Was Just the Beginning - Now Comes the Real Challenge

Radix Announces Radix Deux: 46 Primary Applications in ICANN’s Next gTLD Round

1,600 Applications Later: What’s Next for the New gTLD Round?

Why Nordic Domain Days Has Become a Defining Event for the Domain Industry

Premium Domain Demand Reaches New High in Radix’s H1 2026 Report

DNIB Reports 401.6 Million Domain Name Registrations in Q2 2026

Momentum Builds as the New gTLD Application Window Enters Its Final Weeks

Why Operational Readiness Will Define the Next Generation of TLDs

What Running .CA and .NL Taught Us About Building Better Registry Infrastructure

Making the Most of the 2026 New gTLD Application Round

Premium Domains Surge as Renewals Strengthen in H2 2025

2025 .US Town Hall Registration Open: Explore Industry Trends & Policy Insights

Participants – Random Selection