2025 - A Pivotal Year for Enterprises to Apply for New Generic Top - Level Domains (NEW gTLD)

Broadly speaking, the right-most character group in a domain name is called the top - level domain, such as.com. Brand top - level domain (.brand) is a type of top - level domain. It is a suffix domain applied for and registered by enterprises based on their brand names. Different from general second - level domains, a.brand is not just about an enterprise having a single domain name. Instead, it is a kind of domain that enables free distribution of domain names. It can not only demonstrate an enterprise's strength and enhance its global brand influence but also better protect intellectual property.

Rapid Growth and Frequent Appearances of Top -Level Domains in Global Highlights

According to the 29th "Global Domain Name Development Statistics Report" released by ZDNS &. 网址 Registry, the global holdings of new generic top - level domains (New gTLD) including.brand are 39.14 million, accounting for 10.51% of the global domain name holdings, with a year - on - year growth of 25.22% (7.88 million) and a quarter - on - quarter growth of 4.65% (1.74 million). Top - level domains also frequently appear in the public eye along with social hotspots.

•13 UEFA European Championship sponsors own 8 top - level domains.

•During the Paris Olympics,.paris shone brightly.

•Instead of.com, BNP Paribas printed the top - level domain.bnpparibas on its "signboard".

•To create a link between the meta - verse and the real world, the.WS Registry announced the launch of the domain name on - chain mirroring service.

•The GYBrand Global Brand Research Institute released the "World's 500 Most Influential Brands", and more than half of the top ten enterprises have.Brand.

The Second Round of Top - Level Domain Opening is Imminent, and the Global Application Enthusiasm is High

The global organization responsible for the management and allocation of top - level domains is ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). In 2023, Tripti Sinha, the chair of the ICANN Board of Directors, announced that the opening time for the second - round of top - level domain applications since the birth of the global Internet is April 2026.

By participating in the ICANN Contracted Parties Summit (CP Summit) and a series of international conferences, ZDNS has learned about the latest trends of the new - round opening in various countries around the world:

Foreign brands are laying out earlier: To avoid missing the opportunity, a large number of foreign brands have already started early preparations, including pre - policy consultation, technical compliance preparation, and trademark conflict analysis.

Domain name registry operators have a comprehensive plan: Just one registry plans to apply for more than 100 top - level domains, covering a large number of brand names in advance.

Large - scale applications are being actively prepared: A large number of organizations in relevant countries have a strong inclination to apply for brand top - level domains and geographical top - level domains, and already have key application targets.

Seize the Critical Window of 2025: What Should Enterprises Pay Attention to?

Since the birth of the Internet, there has only been one open application for top - level domains. In 2012, when ICANN opened the first - round of top - level domains, the world - leading Fortune 500 companies had already laid out their plans.

To seize the critical window, enterprises need to:

•Develop strategies in advance for competition of identical/similar top - level domains

Regarding the resolution of contention sets, ICANN has decided to adopt an auction mechanism to resolve the competition for identical top - level domains, and prohibits any form of private settlement in the next round, as well as the formation of joint ventures after submitting applications. This means that enterprises need to conduct early investigations to check if there are enterprises with the same or similar names and formulate relevant strategies and contingency plans.

•Integrate internal and external resources in advance for top - level domain application planning

After successfully applying for a top - level domain, large enterprises mainly use it in three ways:

The first is to fully adopt it as the main domain name, such as Canon.

The second is the hybrid - running mode, where the brand top - level domain and the original domain name are used in combination and jump to each other, such as Audi and Google.

The third is for brand/intellectual property protection. It is a common strategy among large enterprises to reserve it as a scarce and unique resource for future use, like Samsung.

Enterprises need to integrate departments such as brand, intellectual property, and IT in advance, formulate strategies in advance, and through the flexible application of top - level domains, help enterprises maintain "core stability" in the unpredictable business trends, effectively maintain the continuity of brand value, gather high - quality enterprise resources, and continuously increase brand assets. At the same time, it can effectively protect network intellectual property rights in the digital age, reduce the domain name management costs of enterprise groups, and reduce brand rights - protection risks.

•Select an RSP in advance to shorten the technical verification process

RSP is an institution that provides technical support and management services to top - level domain holders. All top - level domain applicants must use an RSP that has been evaluated and compliant by ICANN. Service providers pre - reviewed by the RSP will be publicly announced on the ICANN official website, enabling top - level domain applicants to obtain relevant support from the service platform before the application opening period, helping them greatly shorten the technical verification process during the review.

On November 19, ICANN officially announced the launch of the Registry Service Provider (RSP) evaluation project. It will evaluate the technical qualifications for top - level domain operations globally to enable institutions that obtain top - level domains to operate better. ZDNS joined the RSP evaluation at the first time to help more enterprises operate top - level domains with its professional technical strength.

About ZDNS

As the owner of core technologies in the field of Internet basic resource services, ZDNS has innovatively developed the next - generation DNS. It has built and operated the largest top - level domain service platform in Asia, providing one - stop domain name services to more than 500 well - known global enterprises. It is an institution with "full licenses and full qualifications" in the domain name industry, helping enterprises build global market competitiveness for their brands. For more than ten consecutive years, ZDNS has been deeply involved in ICANN international conferences and policy - making, and will continue to pay attention to the open - application process and provide professional support to enterprises.

Schedule for the Second - Round Opening of New Generic Top - Level Domains

In March 2023, 98 recommendations included in the "Final Report of the Policy Development Process for the Subsequent Procedures of New Generic Top - Level Domains" were passed.

In February 2024, ICANN publicly solicited opinions on part of the draft "Applicant Guide" for the next - round of top - level domain openings.

In August 2024, the Chinese version of the "New Generic Top - Level Domain Project Applicant Support Plan Manual" was released.

In September 2024, ICANN set the expected evaluation fee for the next - round of top - level domain applications.

In November 2024, ICANN launched the evaluation project for registry service providers for the next - round of top - level domain openings.

In May 2025, ICANN released the first version of the "Applicant Guide" for the next - round of top - level domain openings.

In June 2025, ICANN will hold the 83rd ICANN meeting in Prague, Czech Republic.

In October 2025, ICANN will hold the 84th ICANN meeting in Muscat, the capital of Oman.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, ICANN will release the final version of the "Applicant Guide" for the next - round of top - level domain openings.

In April 2026, the application window for the next - round of top - level domains will open.