ICANN’s window to apply for new top-level domains (TLDs) closed this week, the first time this has happened since 2012. One company alone, Link Freedom Group (LFG), filed more than 300 applications, the largest single submission on record. At ICANN’s standard evaluation fee per application, that’s tens of millions of dollars in filing costs alone.
LFG published its list voluntarily, ahead of ICANN’s official Reveal Day, scheduled for October. Here’s a sample of TLD they applied for:
- AI & Tech: .llm, .api, .hub, .robot
- Commerce: .cart, .donate, .merch, .mall
- Crypto & Web3: .block, .btc, .coin, .nft
- Culture: .boom, .viral, .truth, .omg
- Lifestyle: .create, .gym, .learn, .wellness
- Web Infrastructure: .portal, .core, .internet, .text
None of these exist yet. Nothing is available to register today. But if your brand sits anywhere near AI, Web3, commerce, or infrastructure, this is worth a quick scan now rather than a scramble later.
Why now, if nothing launches until 2028?
Because the window between now and General Availability is exactly when the decisions that matter get made: which strings you’d actually want, whether a competitor might want the same one, and whether your trademark filings are in order to claim Sunrise priority the moment registration opens.
ICANN’s Reveal Day (expected October 2026) is when every applicant’s full list goes public, including any other companies applying for the same strings. String Confirmation follows in November. From there, uncontested names move toward launch in early 2028.
Miss that window entirely, and you’re not locked out, but you’re potentially negotiating for a domain in the aftermarket instead of registering it at face value.
What we’d suggest
As an ICANN-accredited registrar that’s guided tens of thousands of clients through the last new gTLD round, 101domain is already tracking this application cycle, and we’ll keep publishing what matters as it moves through Reveal Day, String Confirmation, and launch.
You don’t need to register anything today, and nothing above is available yet.
What’s worth doing now is:
- Add this round to your 2028 domain budget and portfolio planning.
- Note which categories brush up against your brand.
- Make sure your Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) filings are current, so you’re Sunrise-eligible whenever these actually launch.
That’s a five-minute conversation now instead of a scramble later.
To learn more about preparation before a domain launch, visit our blog “How to stay ahead of new domain launches“. See how 101domain supports clients through new gTLD launches.