Global Domain Report
Mission overview
Our mission overview charts through a 2025 domain universe that is expanding and intensifying at once. Rising security demands, an ever-broader namespace and new regulatory waves are reshaping processes and priorities.
We begin by mapping the market through registration data, then navigate key domain clusters. The next wave of new gTLDs takes center stage as we trace their evolution over the past years. We also explore Web3, track DNS abuse, and examine the aftermarket, where investors and professionals look for reliable data and context.
Our mission: provide a more data-driven understanding, practical insights and fresh reflections, whether you’re shaping strategy or simply exploring the domain galaxy.
Mission objectives
Assess the 2025 coordinates of the domain universe
Identify the brightest TLD constellations
Analyze the star map of the new gTLD nebula Detect dark spots and warning lights in the DNS cosmos
Capture reflections from industry navigators
Select your orbit
1 For Resellers & Hosting providers
Optimize your storefront for the "vibe-coding" surge while nontechnical builders are driving a market rebound. Analyze the top TLDs to align your inventory with the two-thirds of the market where registrations are most concentrated.
Market trends & top TLDs
Your Focus: Market trends & top TLDs Chapter 1 Chapter 3
Chapter 1 Chapter 3
2
3 For Corporate Brand Managers
Benchmark your security against a shifting threat landscape. With UDRP cases at an all-time high, leverage the New gTLD Program 2026 and digital 'shields' like DomainSafe to secure your brand's perimeter.
Your Focus: InterNetX cosmos & Brand Protection
Chapter 2 Chapter 3
For Domain Investors
Identify the "workhorse" extensions transitioning to global status, and capitalize on buyer preferences for negotiations and Buy Now listings. Track the AI trajectory as it reaches new milestones.
Your Focus: Sedo galaxy & AI innovation
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 4
4
For AI builders & Vibe-coders
As autonomous agents begin to transact independently, ensure your domains serve as stable 'origin labels' and verified API endpoints. Learn how security protocols like DNSSEC and DMARC have become essential trust signals for AI discovery.
Your Focus: Vibe coding & AI agents
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Domain trends 2026
Reaching new all-time highs in a mature industry
The global domain name space continues to expand and has reached a new all-time high, but growth is now steady rather than explosive, reflecting a more mature industry. ccTLDs are back in positive territory after earlier waves of deletions, while new gTLDs currently show the strongest momentum, even if they still build on a smaller base than legacy TLDs. Legacy gTLDs remain the backbone of the market, yet their dominance is slowly decreasing as ccTLDs and selected new gTLDs gain share. Overall, the industry looks mature but dynamic: less driven by one-off spikes, and more by ongoing competition, consolidation, regulatory change and new naming options.
In its sixth edition, the Global Domain Report distills domain data into a clear picture of what’s trending and how the market is shifting. As the industry matures & expands — and as AI, Web3, security, and compliance reshape digital presence — decision makers need reliable coordinates. It delivers the news, benchmarks, & context to understand what’s changing and navigate what’s next.
Simone Catania
Data sources
Common Crawl Monthly Archives, (31.12.2025)
Domain Name Stat (31.12.2025)
Domain Tools (31.12.2025).
DOTZON Digitale Stadtmarken 2025 report (January 2026). nTLDstats (31.12.2025).
Verisign “The Domain Name Industry Brief”, Q4/2025.
hpsdomaincrawler.com
Domain
hpsnetbeacon.org
DNS
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): "2025 Marks Record-Breaking Year for WIPO Domain Name Disputes“, (14.01.2026) SIDN Labs
