- ICANN reopens applications for new top-level domains after 14 years
- New domains can use multiple scripts in hundreds of languages
- Applicants must demonstrate technical and financial capacity to manage records.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened the application window for a new round of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
This is the first time in 14 years that companies, communities and governments can apply to operate their own top-level domains.
The previous round in 2012 introduced more than 1,200 new gTLDs, including well-known examples like .google, .microsoft, .africa, and even .bananarepublic.
What really is a gTLD and who can get one
A generic top-level domain is the part of a web address that appears after the last period.
Traditional examples include .com, .org, and .net, but the new round allows for custom strings like .brand, .city, or .industry.
Any company, community, government or organization can apply to operate their own top-level domain.
The applicant must demonstrate technical and financial capacity to execute a domain registration, but it is not necessary to be a large corporation.
Small towns, nonprofit organizations, trade associations, and even wealthy individuals are eligible to apply.
ICANN now accepts applications in 27 different scripts, representing hundreds of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Devanagari and Thai.
Successful applicants gain control over who can register domains under their chosen chain, effectively creating their own digital ecosystem.
This expansion will make the Internet more accessible to billions of people who use non-Latin scripts.
Why brands and cities are lining up to apply
Operating a gTLD offers several distinct advantages for organizations willing to pay the application fee.
Brand owners gain stronger security controls over their online presence and can build trust with customers through verified domain registrations.
Marketers overwhelmingly agree on the benefits, with 92% recognizing that gTLDs offer differentiation, increased trust, and search engine optimization.
Geographic locations, such as cities or regions, can create vibrant local digital ecosystems under their own top-level domain.
Communities can strengthen their online identity while maintaining full control over who participates in their domain space.
The application submission period will close on August 12, 2026, giving interested parties just over three months to submit their application.
The online TLD Application Management System handles all submissions, and ICANN has published an Applicant Guide as an authoritative resource for the process.
For wealthy and influential people like President Trump, the .trump domain is within reach.
That would give you exclusive control over every domain that ends with your own last name, a powerful digital asset for fundraising and messaging.
The 2026 round could produce hundreds of new top-level domains, and speculation over who applies has already begun.
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