ICANN is preparing to expand the internet's generic top-level domain system for the first time in 14 years, and the latest application window shows how much the web has changed since the last major expansion. The organization received 1,615 applications for new gTLDs, a collection of proposed domain endings that range from corporate brands and cryptocurrency terms to artificial intelligence catchphrases and geographic names. The scale of the round is substantial: the 2012 cycle added 1,241 new gTLDs, and the new batch could bring roughly 1,600 new names into the internet's namespace.

Generic top-level domains are the suffixes that appear at the end of web addresses and email addresses, such as .com, .net, and .org. When the domain name system began in 1985, the list was tiny: .com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov, and .mil. Over time, the number grew in small increments until ICANN opened a large application round in 2012. That round reshaped the namespace with hundreds of new endings, including industry terms, city names, and dot-brand strings. The current round is the first since then, and it is arriving at a moment when brands, AI companies, and crypto projects all want a more direct claim on internet identity.

Key facts at a glance

• ICANN received 1,615 applications in the new gTLD round.
• The 2012 round produced 1,241 new gTLDs, and the current round could add about 1,600 names.
• North America accounts for 864 applications, Europe for 506, Asia/Australia/Pacific for 218, Latin America and the Caribbean for 11, and Africa for one.
• There are 333 brand-related applications, at least 29 AI-related strings, at least 31 cryptocurrency and blockchain strings, and at least 16 network and developer strings.
• Some 263 names have more than one applicant. .agent is the most contested with 13 applicants, followed by .bit with 11, while .api, .brand, and .hub each drew 10.
• String Confirmation Day is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2026, followed by a Community Input and Objections Period through March 16, 2027, and a Prioritization Draw in the first half of 2027.

Why brands want their own domain endings

Corporate applications make up a large share of the new round. The 333 brand applications include technology and cloud names such as .adobe, .cloudflare, .datadog, .salesforce, .shopify, .slack, .snowflake, and .stripe. Consumer platforms include .facebook, .instagram, .whatsapp, .tiktok, .zoom, .airbnb, and .uber. Other brand names include .adidas, .newbalance, .bankofamerica, and .goldmansachs.

For brands, a dot-brand gTLD can serve several purposes. It can create shorter, more memorable web addresses, support marketing campaigns, and give a company more control over how its name appears online. A brand could use a single suffix across products, regional sites, and customer portals, rather than relying on dozens of second-level domains under .com or country-code endings. The applications do not guarantee that every company will launch a public-facing registry, but they show that large organizations still see value in owning a piece of the naming layer.

The brand list also reflects how digital identity has become part of corporate strategy. Cloud computing companies, social platforms, retailers, and financial institutions all appear in the filing set. For companies with global customers, a gTLD can act as a recognizable signpost, even if the main benefit is defensive. Submitting an application can prevent another party from claiming a string that matches a company's name or trademark.

AI terms dominate the new string list

Artificial intelligence is one of the clearest themes in the applications. The filing set includes at least 29 strings tied to AI terms or AI company and product names. Generic terms include .agent, which drew 13 applicants, .agentic with two, and .agi, short for artificial general intelligence, with seven. Other AI-related strings include .llm for large language model with two applicants, .mcp for Model Context Protocol with five, plus .prompt and .superintelligence.

Company and product names include .openai, .chatgpt, .codex, .anthropic, .claude, .copilot, .gemini, .llama, and .qwen. There are also community-based applications for .agent and .mcp, and one of the 21 internationalized domain name applications is for the Chinese term for artificial intelligence.

The interest in AI strings is not surprising. AI has become one of the most heavily funded and heavily discussed areas of technology, and companies are competing to define the vocabulary around models, agents, prompts, and protocols. A gTLD can become part of that branding. It can also be a defensive move: if a term is likely to become important, an organization may want to control the most direct domain ending associated with it.

The contest over .agent illustrates how quickly a generic word can become valuable. Thirteen applicants want the same string, which means ICANN will have to resolve competing claims if the applications proceed. The outcome could depend on the program's objection and dispute processes, as well as on the applicants' plans for the registry.

Cryptocurrency and blockchain names remain prominent

The new round also includes at least 31 strings tied to cryptocurrency and blockchain. Names include .bitcoin with two applicants, .crypto with five, .ethereum, .ether with two, .solana, .tether, .ripple, .ledger, .wallet with four, and .token with three. Four community-based applications are for crypto strings: .bitcoin, .sol, .sui, and .avax.

Crypto projects have long relied on domain names to signal identity and trust. A clear domain can help users find official wallets, exchanges, and information pages, while also reducing confusion with copycat sites. The applications suggest that crypto organizations still view the domain system as an important part of their public infrastructure, even as the industry has moved through multiple market cycles.

The presence of .wallet and .token shows that the interest is not limited to specific coins. Applicants are also seeking broader category terms that could be used for services, products, and communities. As with AI, some of these applications may be defensive, while others may reflect plans for a live registry.

Network and developer terms attract multiple applicants

At least 16 strings come from the network and developer stack. They include .lan for local area network, .vpn for virtual private network with two applicants, .dns for Domain Name System with two, .cdn for content delivery network, .proxy, .auth, and .login. The string .api, for application programming interface, drew 10 applicants.

These terms matter because they describe the plumbing of modern software and internet services. Developers and network engineers use APIs, DNS, VPNs, and content delivery networks every day. A gTLD built around one of these terms could serve documentation, developer tools, or community resources. It could also become a contested namespace if multiple companies believe they should control the term.

The .api application count is particularly notable. APIs are central to how software connects, and a domain ending tied to APIs could appeal to platform companies, toolmakers, and developer communities. The same logic applies to .vpn and .dns, where technical audiences may see value in a dedicated namespace.

Geographic and internationalized names

The filing set includes 15 self-identified geographic applications, with strings such as .bali, .beijing, .bremen, .budapest, .salzburg, and .vienna. Geographic gTLDs can be used by tourism boards, local businesses, and community organizations to promote a place and create a recognizable digital identity.

Internationalized Domain Names are also part of the round. Applications can be submitted in 26 scripts representing more than 380 languages, and applicants can seek variant gTLDs. A variant TLD is an internationalized domain name that can be registered in different ways because of variations in how words are spelled in a given language. This matters for languages that use diacritics, different character forms, or multiple accepted spellings. It allows the domain system to reflect linguistic diversity more accurately, but it also adds technical and policy complexity.

What changed after the 2012 round

ICANN has adjusted the application process based on lessons from 2012. One change is a standalone Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program. Registry service providers run the back-end operations for a registry operator. Some operators handle that work themselves, while others outsource it. Under the new approach, providers can be pre-evaluated, so the technical review does not have to happen at the same time as the application evaluation.

Another change is the Applicant Support Program, which offers financial support to applicants who need it. The program received 76 applications this round, and 56 qualified. Of those, 51 submitted a gTLD application. In 2012, the program received three applications and one applicant progressed. The difference suggests that outreach and support have improved, although the program remains a small part of the overall applicant pool.

ICANN has also focused on trademark rights protections. The community conducted an extensive policy review of the rules and protections from the 2012 round through the Review of Rights Protection Mechanisms Policy Development Process. The goal is to balance the interests of trademark holders with the openness of the domain system.

Name collision and universal acceptance

Adding new gTLDs is not only about accepting proposals. ICANN must also validate that new names will work without disrupting existing services. Two technical concepts are central to that work: name collision and universal acceptance.

Name collision occurs when a new public TLD matches a name that a network already uses privately. Many organizations use internal names that do not exist in the public DNS, such as an internal domain ending in .corp or .lan. If ICANN delegates a new gTLD with the same string, lookups for those internal names could start resolving through the public DNS or leak outside the network. That can break applications or expose traffic. ICANN's framework subjects every applied-for string to a name collision risk assessment, and what it requires of an applicant depends on the risk identified.

Universal Acceptance is about whether software works with every valid domain name and email address, including new ones. The broader use of internationalized domain names and longer TLDs depends on progress in universal acceptance. Systems must be able to correctly accept, validate, process, store, and display all valid domain names and email addresses across internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. If software rejects a new TLD, the domain may exist but fail in practice.

Timeline and next steps

So far, ICANN has revealed which applications have been made. The next milestone is String Confirmation Day on Nov. 17, 2026, when ICANN will publish the final list of strings that will proceed through the program. That date begins the Community Input and Objections Period, which runs to March 16, 2027. ICANN has set a Prioritization Draw for the first half of 2027 to determine processing order.

The applications represent demand, not approval. Each string still has to move through evaluation, objections, and technical checks. Contested strings such as .agent and .bit will require resolution, and applicants will need to demonstrate that their proposed registries can operate safely. The final namespace will depend on how those steps unfold, but the filing set already shows where commercial and technical interest is concentrated.

Source:Network World News