The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has officially opened the application round for the Fellowship Program connected to the upcoming ICANN86 Policy Forum. The meeting is scheduled to take place from 8–11 June 2026 in Seville, Spain. If circumstances require a virtual format, the Fellowship Program will likewise be conducted virtually. Only individuals who have previously completed the Fellowship Program (Fellowship Program Alumni) are eligible to apply.

Launching a startup, publishing a portfolio, or scaling a service online always begins with one essential step — choosing the right domain name. Today, more founders and innovators are moving away from traditional extensions and adopting options that define who they are from the first glance. Two of the most functional and business-oriented domain zones — .tech and .biz — have become markers of innovation, expertise, and professional credibility. These extensions don’t just tell users what you do — they show what kind of brand you are.

On 10 November 2025, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened the nomination period for its annual ICANN Community Excellence Award. The nomination window will remain open until 8 January 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

Digital personalization has moved far beyond usernames and bios. Today, individuals and small creators are building entire ecosystems around their name, brand, or idea. The .my domain extension fits perfectly into this shift. Originally tied to Malaysia, it’s now often interpreted as “my” in English, creating a direct sense of ownership and identity online.

On 3 November 2025, the Board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) adopted the Applicant Guidebook (AGB) that will govern the upcoming round of the new generic top-level domain (gTLD) programme. This decision was taken at the ICANN84 meeting in Dublin and marks a critical procedural milestone in the rollout of the next gTLD round.

Online visibility today starts with clarity. The right domain name isn’t just an address — it’s a statement about what you do and who you serve. Extensions like .agency, .business, and .cafe instantly signal expertise, professionalism, and local identity. They simplify how customers find you, remember you, and trust you. If your goal is to be immediately understood — whether as a creative agency, an established company, or a neighborhood café — these domains set that tone from the very first click.

On 7 October 2025, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) identified a technical issue in the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) environment for Registry System Testing (RST) version 2.0. Once notified, ICANN took both the OT&E and production environments offline to investigate and contain the problem.

October brings a wave of digital creativity, and few domain extensions capture the season’s energy like .monster. Designed to stand out, this extension speaks directly to brands, artists, and creators who want to make a statement online. During Halloween, when marketing turns playful and visuals get darker or more daring, domains ending in .monster offer the perfect mix of humor, edge, and memorability. They immediately tell visitors that the site doesn’t follow the usual rules — it has attitude, imagination, and a sense of fun.

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.