The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has officially published its Annual Report and audited consolidated financial statements for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25), covering the period ending 30 June 2025. This release aligns with ICANN’s commitment to transparency and financial accountability, and offers stakeholders a detailed insight into its operations, financial health and strategic progress.

The internet moves fast — and your domain should keep up. In a world where attention lasts seconds and first impressions decide everything, a name that instantly says “this is me” makes all the difference. That’s where modern domain extensions like .click, .digital, .icu, and .cyou come in. They’re short, expressive, and designed for creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses who want to stand out without saying too much.

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council has put out a renewed appeal for community members to volunteer for the Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT). This updated announcement builds on the prior call from 22 September 2025 by extending the application deadline and clarifying expectations for participants.

Establishing authority online depends on more than just having a website — it’s about what your domain says before a visitor even clicks. Domains like .guru and .pro instantly communicate expertise, trust, and specialization. They’re concise, distinctive, and suggest leadership in a specific niche. For individuals and businesses wanting to highlight their skills, these domains make a strong statement of competence from the very start.

In a new announcement dated 13 October 2025, ICANN is inviting feedback from its global community on the draft schedule for its triannual Public Meetings spanning 2029 through 2033. The organization is making the proposed dates public in order to gather stakeholder perspectives before finalizing the calendar.

Digital identity no longer revolves around .com or .net. Companies and creators are increasingly turning to niche and country-linked domains that align better with their brand tone, target audience, or industry focus. These domains not only help with SEO precision and memorability but also communicate identity and intent from the very first glance. Let’s explore the most popular non-gTLD options that are shaping how modern projects present themselves online.

ICANN has announced that it is extending the submission deadline for its Applicant Support Program (ASP) under the upcoming new gTLD round. Entities that input their organizational information by 19 November 2025 will now have until 19 December 2025 to submit a full application.

When choosing a domain, the extension defines not only your online identity but also how your audience perceives your purpose. Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) are universal, adaptable, and ideal for anyone who wants to create a clear and recognizable presence on the web. From global organizations to startups and personal brands, these domains help signal credibility, accessibility, and a focus on relevance rather than geography.

When people look for a domain today, they don’t want something generic that blends into the crowd. They want a name that captures attention quickly, is easy to remember, and signals activity. That’s where .buzz comes in. It’s short, instantly recognizable, and designed to highlight communities, trends, and projects that thrive on visibility.

ICANN has opened the call for nominations for its 2026 Leadership Program, set to take place on 5–6 March 2026 in Mumbai, India, right before the ICANN85 Community Forum. The aim of this initiative is to bring together current and emerging community leaders, deepen their understanding of ICANN’s operations, and enhance their facilitation skills.

The music industry thrives online. Whether you are a solo artist, a record label, or a business working in an adjacent field like ticketing or audio technology, your web address is part of your identity. Choosing the right domain is not just about branding—it directly influences discoverability, credibility, and audience engagement. Music-related domains like .music, .band, .live, .fm, and .audio are highly specific, meaning they speak instantly to fans, customers, and collaborators.

NicNames × Doma Protocol: Industry-First TestNet Domain You Can Tokenize — Free

We’ve launched .tokenized.name — a test domain zone on Doma Protocol’s TestNet. No other registrar offers this today. Register a testnet domain free with a promo code and tokenize it on-chain in minutes.

Get a one-time promo code for NicNames.com in minutes: join our Discord, verify with Captcha.bot, run /promos, and apply your code at checkout. We only ask for your email and a 6-digit OTP—never your password.

On 25 September 2025, ICANN officially rolled out Root Zone Label Generation Rules Version 6 (RZ-LGR-6) along with Maximal Starting Repertoire Version 6 (MSR-6). These specifications define which Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) labels and their variant forms are permissible in the DNS root zone. The MSR serves as the foundational set of characters from which local communities propose script-specific rules.

We’re happy to announce the launch of {name}.tokenized.name domain registrations at NicNames.com, in collaboration with D3. This step-by-step guide will walk you through registering and tokenizing your own domain name completely free of charge on testnet.

On 22 September 2025, the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council issued a call for volunteers from the community to join the Standing Predictability Implementation Review Team (SPIRT). SPIRT is established under the GNSO Council’s guidance per the SPIRT Charter, with the role of advising the GNSO Council, the ICANN Board, the ICANN organization, and the Internet community on matters related to the New Generic Top-Level Domains Program: Next Round, following adoption of the Applicant Guidebook.

The Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP), formalized in RFC STD 95, is the modern alternative to WHOIS, engineered to provide standardised, structured access to domain, IP, and ASN registration data via RESTful APIs. Unlike the older WHOIS protocol, which returns plain text over specified ports, RDAP responds over HTTP(s), using GET and HEAD methods, and returns information in JSON format.

On 15 September 2025, ICANN’s Contractual Compliance team rolled out a redesigned set of webpages aimed at making it simpler for people around the world to locate and use the resources linked to compliance. The updated layout is based on input from various stakeholders and internal staff, demonstrating ICANN’s commitment to delivering information that is both accessible and up‑to‑date.

Tokenized domains are changing the way digital ownership is perceived. Instead of relying only on traditional registrars, domain names can now exist as blockchain-based tokens. This means they can be transferred, traded, or even shared in ways that were not possible before. The concept is not abstract—it directly affects how businesses, investors, and creators can use domains as real assets.

The online entertainment industry is one of the fastest-growing markets, driven by video platforms, gaming communities, live events, and digital media studios. Choosing the right domain is a critical step for any brand in this space because it communicates relevance, professionalism, and focus from the very first interaction. Below we’ll explore why entertainment-oriented domains are in demand, who they fit best, and how they remain highly relevant across multiple use cases.

Choosing the right domain name is one of the most practical steps for any hospitality business. A well-selected domain immediately signals professionalism, makes your brand easier to remember, and increases visibility in search results. Hotels, guesthouses, and resorts compete in a crowded market, and a strong domain gives a business the credibility it needs to attract new customers and build long-term trust.

From the onset, the 2025 Nominating Committee (NomCom) launches its Year‑in‑Review report with a direct and gracious note from its chair, reflecting on the committee’s journey since convening right after the ICANN81 Annual General Meeting. This introduction sets the stage by acknowledging the scale and import of the committee’s mission.

Choosing the right domain for an educational project is not just a formality. It directly impacts how students find you, how trustworthy your platform looks, and how easily your site appears in search results. If you plan to launch online courses, create a learning platform, or build a professional academy, the domain name you select becomes your digital foundation.

When building or evolving a digital brand, the domain name is more than just a web address — it's a critical part of how your audience will perceive and find you. Should you create a fresh domain from scratch, or consider purchasing an existing one with history? How many domains should you secure, and what happens when your brand name changes? Let’s break it down.

ICANN is pleased to announce that the co‑facilitators leading the WSIS+20 overall review of Information Society outcomes, appointed by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, will be present at the ICANN84 Annual General Meeting in Dublin, Ireland. This presence underscores the continued cooperation between global Internet governance bodies and the United Nations to evaluate digital policy progress. The event is scheduled for 29 August 2025, and it marks a meaningful opportunity for direct exchange within the ICANN ecosystem.