Also called nTLD · new generic top-level domain
New gTLD, explained
The 2012 application round introduced more than 1,200 new gTLDs, which launched from 2013 onward. By mid-2026 they held 52.9 million registrations, up 34.0% year over year, according to the Domain Name Industry Brief, and two of them, .xyz and .top, were among the ten largest TLDs. ICANN's next round accepted applications from April 30 to August 12, 2026; 1,616 applications will proceed, and Reveal Day, when ICANN publishes the applied-for strings and who applied, is set for October 7, 2026.
For a domain investor, registration counts measure volume, not resale demand. Many new gTLDs have thin aftermarkets, registry premium names that renew at premium prices, and pricing the registry can change. Before buying, check the renewal price for that specific name, recent resale comparables in the same extension and whether businesses in that niche actually build on it. The exceptions tend to be short, generic names in extensions with real end-user adoption.
Example. Registering a one-word name in .shop for an online store is buying a new gTLD.
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- ICANN — ICANN opens application window for new generic top-level domains (Apr 30, 2026)
- CircleID — ICANN confirms 1,616 applications will proceed in 2026 new gTLD round (Sept 23, 2026)
- ICANN — Reveal Day and other 2026 round milestones (Sept 29, 2026)
- DNIB.com (Verisign) — The Domain Name Industry Brief, Q2 2026 (July 23, 2026)
Education, not financial, legal or tax advice. Domain investing is speculative and most domain names never sell. Read the disclaimer.