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The Lowdown

Welcome to the 
The Lowdown
from 
DN Journal
- your source for notable news and information from all corners of the global domain name industry! 

The Lowdown is compiled by DN Journal Editor & Publisher 
Ron Jackson
.

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Last Call for Discounted NamesCon Global Tickets - Final Early Bird Offer Expires Friday Night

The 2026 NamesCon Global conference in Miami is coming up fast now. As veteran conference goers know, it pays to get your tickets as early possible. The last discount opportunity will be gone after Friday night (Sept. 25, 2026 at the stroke of midnight). If you register before the deadline, you will get $250 off the cost of the $999 standard pass that goes into effect Saturday. On top of that, if you use the DNJournal promo code - DNJ20 - at checkout it will knock another 20% off the price!

If you are under 30 years of age, the savings are even bigger ($500 to be exact). NamesCon's Under 30 Pass is a deeply-discounted $499 ticket geared toward individual investors, individual brokers, and emerging entrepreneurs, who are under the age of 30. While the price is lower, the benefits are the same:

 

  • Access to all sessions, keynotes and panels

  • Access to the Exhibition Area

  • Access to the live domain auction

  • Coffee breaks

  • Access to all official networking events which include catering and bar offerings

  • Network with fellow investors, industry experts, and key industry players from around the globe 

Time has already ready run out on securing a room at NamesCon's host hotel since the entire block at the Marriott Biscayne Bay has sold out. The good news on that front is that conference organizers have secured additional discounted rooms at the Hilton Miami Downtown, right next to the primary host hotel. That will allow you to use the quick and efficient shuttle bus service between the Marriott and the show venue - the nearby Ice Palace - that will run throughout the show.

We will, of course be at NamesCon, both to speak and to cover the event for readers and are hoping to see you in Miami!

(Posted Sept 23, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0923.htm

*****

.it.com Passes 200,000 Domain Registrations to Set a New All-Time High for Their Category

Registrar .it.com Domains announced today that their total number of registrations has passed 200,000 after growing by 33% since the opening quarter of this year. In addition to the high growth rate, the number of registrations is notable because it sets a new high water mark for .com domains in this category.

.it.com sells third level domain names like buy.it.com (.com is the top level domain, it is the second and the chosen name is the 3rd level). Third level domains have been popular around the world for decades, especially with country code extensions like .co.uk and .com.au. It's not a new thing for .com TLDs either with CentralNic (now Team Internet) operating a large portfolio of them, including .uk.com, .us.com and .cn.com to name a few. While CentralNic did not break out numbers for their individual strings, our research indicates their most popular option, .uk.com, topped out at a high of 100,000 to 120,000 registrations. 

 

Image from Bigstock

Setting a new standard is always impressive but it is especially remarkable to see how quickly .it.com has done it. In February the company passed the 150,000 mark. Now, just 7 months later, the count stands 33% higher, fueled by a growing registrar network now topping 50+
partners
in more than 150 countries around the world. That success can be partially attributed to the dual meaning that IT carries as the universally known acronym for information technology, as well as the abbreviation for Italy (making it a popular choice with Italian companies). 

In this new AI era, the tech connection is especially potent since the number of newly funded AI companies worldwide increased by 71% in 2025, according to the Stanford AI Index 2026. Each new company entering the market needs an online identity, while the supply of short and relevant names under traditional extensions remains limited.

Andrey Insarov, Founder and CEO of it.com Domains, said, “We developed .it.com to make online identities more relevant to the businesses behind them, easier to access and practical for companies at different stages of growth. Our focus is on giving businesses a name that feels meaningful while providing the reliability and global reach they expect. This milestone shows that businesses value having more choice in how they present themselves in a digital landscape.”

The company's strategy now reaches well beyond expanding domain registrations alone. With another wave of new TLDs about to launch, it.com Domains recognized the critical need for reliable registry infrastructure, extensive registrar distribution and the operational capacity to support domains at scale. Earlier this year, it.com Domains was named an evaluated Registry Service Provider (RSP) for ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Program. The company can now apply the same technology, registrar relationships and operational experience behind .it.com to help other organizations launch and manage their own top-level domains. All of which indicates the company's growth story is just getting started.

Andrey Insarov
Founder & CEO
.it.com Domains

(Posted Sept. 18, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0918.htm

*****

Industry Pioneer Dan Rubin Returns to the Domain Drop Catching Arena With a Completely Rebuilt Version of an Old Favorite - JustDropped.com

When I first stumbled upon the domain business in 2002, one of the first persons who helped me start building a portfolio of my own was JustDropped.com Founder Dan Rubin. Dan had started his business the same year and one of his products was a desktop drop catching script that connected directly to my account at one of the most popular investor-oriented  registrars of the era, Enom. With it, you could take names you found on the daily drop lists, add them to the script and start it when the drops began. You could sit there and watch domains automatically being registered and added to your registrar account. It was an amazing thing!

It was also probably the best value for the money that I ever got as I used it to acquire dozens of domains that generated steady profits for years to come. That, of course,  was a unique opportunity in time because just a few years later major players, having recognized the opportunity in domains, deployed tons of cash to dominate the drop catching process - one in which most valuable expired domains started going into auctions. So today, it's all about finding tools that, in addition to telling you what is dropping and when, identifies the names that most closely match what you want and also offer the greatest potential for profitable resale.

 

 

Just Dropped Founder Dan Rubin and his family on a visit to Gainesville, Florida this month to watch the Florida Gators first football games of season (Dan's youngest daughter is a senior at the University of Florida).

Those tools have steadily improved through the years and I'm not at all surprised to see Dan behind one of the most promising new options - one that carries a proud name from the past - JustDropped.com - but that has been rebuilt from scratch for a new more competitive environment. Dan had set the original business on the back burner while raising a family and continuing to pursue his personal investing regimen. This year he decided it was time to re-enter the arena with the launch of the new site. 

 

I got my first look at it today and there is a lot to like including, but not limited to:

  • All-New JustDropped.com – Completely rebuilt from the ground up with a modern, faster interface.

  • JD Score – a proprietary 0–100 “super filter” that helps surface domains worth investigating first.

  • Advanced Domain Search & Filtering – Search by keywords, exact domains, patterns, status, TLD, length and more.

  • Real-Time Domain Keyword Alerts – Set your keywords once and JustDropped continuously monitors for matching domain activity and sends alerts.

  • Pending Delete Domain Lists – Research upcoming .com, .net and .org drops in advance, with JD Score included for every domain.

  • Downloadable Pending Delete CSVs – Complete lists can be downloaded and analyzed using your own tools and workflows.

  • Domain Watchlist – Track domains you care about and monitor their status. 

  • Saved Searches – Save searches so you can quickly return to your favorite domain criteria.

  • WHOIS Lookups – Research domain registration information directly within your workflow.

  • Completely Redesigned iPhone App – Take your JustDropped domain discovery on the go.  Waiting on App Store approval...

  • JustDropped Daily Newsletter – Hand-selected domain opportunities offered at low reseller pricing.

  • Built by a Domainer, for Domainers – More than 20 years of domain-discovery experience behind the completely rebuilt platform.

Dan said, "As a domain investor myself, I understand what it's like to search through thousands of expiring domains looking for the handful that stand out. We built the new JustDropped.com around a simple question: Will this help our users find better domains faster?"

While everything is new, Dan found that some of the JustDropped fans from the old days missed a few things they had fond memories of. He told us, "I received quite a bit of feedback from some of the JustDropped OGs who told me they actually preferred the original search interface. After 23 years of using it, I guess old habits die hard! So rather than completely retiring it, I decided to bring the original search style back as a “Classic” view within the new search area. Users can now choose between the new streamlined search interface or switch over to Classic view if that’s what they’re more comfortable with. I thought it was a nice way to move JustDropped forward while still keeping a little bit of its history around."

The new JustDropped offers three service levels. There is a free option so you can try out many features and see if the products meets your needs. There are two paid levels beyond that, one at $25 a month and the top level at $50 a month. You can compare exactly what is offered at each level here. Dan has been well-known in this business for almost a quarter of a century now and he has always been about finding and delivering value, so I would bet the new iteration of JustDropped.com will continue to meet the standard he set all those years ago. 

(Posted Sept. 15, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0915.htm

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In Bewildering Move Australia's .AU Domain Administrator (AuDA) Decapitates Its Own .com.au SLD

If it wasn't September I would have thought the headline I saw at Domainer.com.au Monday was an April Fool's joke. It said auDA Board Just Voted to Destroy the .com.au Name Space - but it was no joke. AuDA, the administrator of Australia'a .au top level domain and parent of second level versions like .com.au, .net.au and .org.au - decided to stab their loyal .com.au and .net.au customers in the back by passing a rule that will make it too expensive for hundreds of thousands of domain owners to renew their names. 

AuDA did this by passing a rule saying registrants of .com.au and .net.au domains will have to have a trademark or company name matching the domain they held in order to keep them. With the cost of getting a new business registration or trademark and maintaining it running into four figures many will lose names they bought in good faith years ago thanks to AuDA's decision to change the rules in the middle of the game (a change that, not surprisingly, will make the government a ton of new revenue at the expense of Australia's small business community).

 

Image from Bigstock

David Warmuz, CEO of Melbourne-based  tech powerhouse, Trillion.com (parent of Above.com, Help.com and other well-known Internet brands), wrote, " over 1 million .com.au domains will require a new Business Name Registration or a new Trademark registration and then Change of Registrant done. We estimate that this is going to cost Small Business owners $500 million to fix and a good $200 million every year to maintain. This is a great win for the Australian Government through ASIC and IP Australia services, but all at the cost of Small Businesses."

It is quite odd that the new rule applies only to the .com.au and .net au flavors of Australian domains - not .org.au or even the top level marquee domain - .au (a direct option that only opened to the public for the first time in 2022). Only the two that business people counted on are affected in an inexplicable move that instantly makes them toxic SLDs. 

One veteran Aussie domain investor/developer, Ned O'Meara, wondered if this was a calculated plan meant to drive up .au sales that, with about 800,000 registered domains, are dwarfed by the 3.3 million registered in .com.au. The issue with that now is how could anyone trust AuDA not to eventually pull the same bait and switch on .au holders that they have on com.au and net.au registrants? The one thing they have succeeded in doing with this move is taint the entirety of one of the world's great country code TLDs. 

The mistake is so monumental, we would guess that between now and when the rule gets implemented, AuDA is going to face an enormous amount of blowback from the business community and a variety of legal challenges that may stop the madness before the damage is irreversible. 

"Trust takes years to build, seconds to 
break, and forever to repair."
- Dhar Mann

(Posted Sept. 8, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0908.htm

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.Chess Domains Are Coming with Community Application from FIDE/World Chess Partnership Holding Dominant Board Position

Chess fans around the world can expect to see the wildly popular 1500-year-old game's online profile elevated, thanks to the ICANN's 2026 round of new gTLDs. Now that the application window has closed, we are learning more about what new top level domains were applied for and who is seeking to operate them. The latest to step forward is a powerhouse partnership between the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and commercial partner, World Chess, that applied for the .chess TLD. FIDE represents more than 200 national chess federations, giving them the credibility needed to file a community application - a class that is given preference when more than one party applies for a TLD (at the moment no other applicant for .chess has been revealed). 

 

FIDE's commercial partner, World Chess, develops online chess platforms, professional tournaments and chess products for players worldwide. With an estimated 600 million chess players around the globe and a fan base exceeding one billion, there is a substantial market to serve. In a press release about their application, World Chess detailed the partnership's plans, noting "National federations will receive dedicated .chess domains, allocated in coordination with FIDE — a common, recognizable internet identifier system for organized chess in every country. Clubs, academies, organizers, platforms, media and players will be able to register names that instantly say what they are: a string built for the game, backed by the institution that has governed it since 1924, and operated by World Chess.

FIDE and World Chess have also chosen a technical partner to provide back-end services for .chess, ICANN Regsistered Service Provider .it.com Domains (a company that already operates its own .it.com namespace with over 150,000 active domains). .it.com Domains already had a successful working relationship with World Chess. In 2023 they entered a three-year partnership agreement under which .it.com Domains sponsored World's Chess's Armageddon Chess Series.

Acting FIDE President Viswanathan Anand said. “Chess deserves its own place on the internet — one where a player, a parent or a sponsor can see at a glance that a domain is genuinely part of the game. .chess will give our federations and our community a shared, trusted home online, and I am glad that FIDE is anchoring it together with World Chess.”

 

 

(Posted Sept. 2, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0902.htm

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Registered Agents Takes a Two-Pronged Approach to New TLDs - Running Their Own and Providing Back-End Services to the Rest

Over 1,600 applications to run new Top Level Domains were filed with ICANN in the recently concluded 2026 round (the first chance to create new domain extensions since 2012). The impending flood of new TLDs not only creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to operate entire TLDs of their own, it creates opportunities for companies that provide the back-end services needed by all of those new registry operators to function. There are also companies taking advantage of both opportunities at the same time. We saw that today when Registered Agents Inc. (RAI) announced they have applied to run six new TLDs and are also diving into the registry services business with an all-new, built from scratch infrastructure, designed to give gTLD operators and ccTLD operators more choice for the technology behind their domains. That entity has been dubbed Astronym Registry™.

 

Christopher Ambler
RAI Director of Domain Registry

Astronym is the brainchild of Christopher Ambler, one of those longest tenured veterans in the entire industry with a career dating back to the late 1980s. Christopher has worked for Microsoft, Enom and GoDaddy and is current Director of Domain Registry at Registered Agents Inc. He moved from GoDaddy to RAI in 2022 with the goal of building "a new kind of registry, not driven by investor control, but focused on independence and quality - one designed to be an alternative for TLD operators, registrars and sovereign registries not wanting to use publicly-traded companies or investor-owned registry infrastructure solutions." Ambler added,  "Astronym is independent, modern and designed to give operators more control over the technology powering their domains.”

As for their new TLD plans, the company applied for .epic, .identity, .mark, .private, .registeredagent and .verified. .Epic is an apparent nod to the Epik domain registrar that RAI acquired in 2022 after it ran aground following financial malfeasance under previous ownership. Even so, they aren't the only party that has applied for the .epic extension.

Ambler said, "Registered Agents Inc wants to promote the TLDs to our six million-plus customers who care about independence from Big Tech. Big Data. And Big Corporate. With a larger business-to-business customer base than GoDaddy, the company is uniquely positioned to bring better TLDs to the business world than any other registry operator. We’re not building Astronym to only run six domains, we’re building the infrastructure for a much bigger registry business. We are actively pursuing partnerships with registry operators and also exploring opportunities to acquire existing registries from owners looking for an exit."  

(Posted Sept. 1, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0901.htm

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With a Record of Success Running New Top Level Domains Radix is Back for Round 2 With Their Sights Set on Winning Dozens of New TLDs 

Applicants seeking to run their own new TLDs continue to step forward and reveal the domain extensions they applied for in ICANN's 2026 round - the first opportunity to do so since the first round was held 14 years ago. Radix was active in that last round, landing multiple TLDs including  .tech, .online and .website, to name a few. They've also been one of the most successful operators of TLDs that were added to the Internet in that 2012 round, so it is no surprise to learn they were even busier in the 2026 round. They wound up filing applications to run 46 additional new TLDs, labeling the new initiative as Radix Deux. They've also created a special website to track developments in the new campaign at deux.radix.website.

 

Underscoring how highly Radix is prioritizing this opportunity is the fact that it is the company’s largest strategic commitment since its founding.  The company began with more than 3.2 million words and terms, analyzed over 1.8 million real-world business and brand names for naming patterns, evaluated more than 110,000 strings against quantitative criteria, and scrutinized 580 finalist strings individually; combining predictive modeling built on a decade of Radix’s own registry data with the judgment of the team that built its existing portfolio. 

The 46 applications are organized into seven categories, each built around a distinct thesis: AI (TLDs applied for listed on the first line in the graphic below), for the machine-intelligence era; Technology (line 2), for the layers everything runs on; Bio & Health (line 3), for care, treatment, and the life sciences; Finance (line 4), for money’s migration into software; Business (line 5), for the language of commerce and work; Creator (line 6), for the people who make things; and Culture (line 7) for taste, belonging, and shared spaces.

Sandeep Ramchandani
Radix CEO

Radix CEO Sandeep Ramchandani said, “There are two ways to approach a TLD round like this: apply wide and see what sticks, or pick deliberately and commit completely. We chose the latter. We narrowed 3.2 million possibilities down to 46, and every string that made it is one we intend to operate; there are no hedges on this list. We have spent over a decade demonstrating what happens when Radix commits to a string; our existing TLDs, such as .tech, .store, and .online, have grown into some of the most popular TLD brands under the same team. Radix led this industry through its first generation of new domains. We are ready to lead the second.”

Of course, in many cases there will be applicants hoping to run the same TLD, so there is still a long way to god before we will know who ends up winning the various TLDs. Sandeep addressed that in a LinkedIn post today, writing "How many of these 46 we'll ultimately operate, nobody knows — that's the nature of the process. But the conviction behind each application is real. Radix's current TLD brands include .tech, .online,.store, .site, .space, .fun, .website, .press, .host, and .uno and span approximately 10 million domains under management, distributed through hundreds of registrars and partners worldwide." 


(Posted August 28, 2026)
To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0828.htm

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Fans of Armenia's .AM TLD Have Their Party Hats on This Month As .AM Reached a New Registration Milestone and Celebrated Its 32nd Anniversary

While .com is the undisputed King of the Hill, anyone who has had a chance to enjoy a bit of international traveling knows that in many places you will see a nation's country code top level domain (ccTLD) just about everywhere you turn. As a country's Internet address, the ccTLD is both an important global brand and a point of national pride. That has been the case with Armenia's .am ccTLD that is administered by The Internet Society NGO (ISOC.AM).

August has given .am fans a couple of big reasons to celebrate. It started August 14, 2026 when the ccTLD hit a new high water mark of 50,000 registrations, then on Wednesday of this week (August 26), .am broke out the confetti to mark its 32nd anniversary. 

 

Image from ArmeniaDomains.com

Above & Below: ISOC.AM leaders and supporters at the organization's office in Yerevan Wednesday (August 26) to celebrate the 32nd anniversary for .AM and recognize the person who registered the 50,000th .AM domain on August 14. That was Vahe Danelyan who unknowingly hit the mark by registering Armenia-Tour.am at ABC Domain (internet.am).  Vahe was unable to attend in person but his name and domain will now be part of .AM history. 

A statement from ISOC.AM about the occasion noted, "An essential part of this journey is the growing community of individuals and organizations using a .am domain. By choosing .am, you are not only establishing your own digital presence, but also contributing to the growth of Armenia’s digital ecosystem and strengthening our country’s presence in the global domain market."

Every nation on earth has its own country code top level domain and each ccTLD has a unique history of its own. I've had a little extra interest in Armenia's Internet journey because of a family connection. My brother-in-law, retired U.S. Army Brig. General Peter Injasoulian has deep Armenian roots. Peter's grandfather, Harry, emigrated from Armenia to Racine, Wisconsin in the U.S. in the early 1900s. Harry's son's George (Peter's dad) was born in Racine and became a Colonel in the National Guard. Peter took the family's military tradition even further as a General officer and former Commander of the Michigan National Guard. Peter's kids were U.S. Army officers too! That's a more than century long run of service to America thanks to Harry's arrival here from Armenia all those years ago!

(Posted August 27 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0827.htm

*****

How Sedo's Mark Ghoriafi Managed to Close Two Previously Unreleased 6-Figure Sales While Vacationing in the Alaskan Wilderness This Month

Now that summer is winding down, we're hearing about what a lot of our friends did on their summer vacation. There were trips to the beach or a theme park, perhaps hiking, camping or just a comfortable staycation away from the crowds. What you don't hear a lot about are seaplane expeditions, hiking across glaciers in the Alaskan wilderness and encounters with wild bears. I know - before I say another word - that a lot of people right now are saying - he must be talking about Sedo's Senior Premium Broker, Mark Ghoriafi - and they would be right.

While Mark's boundary breaking travel adventures have always been eye-catching, it is amazing to see how much work he manages to get done during his "breaks". On a vacation trip to Alaska this month he negotiated and closed two previously unreported six-figure sales being revealed here for the first time. One, of those, closed from a remote mountainside, was H2.com at $240,000 in the 3rd highest 2-character letter/number sale on record. The other was a .ai gem - School.ai at $105,000. 

The H2.com transaction unfolded the most unexpected way you could imagine. Mark was 

 

Mark "Mr. Premium" Ghoriafi hiking across a mountain glacier in Alaska earlier this month. Sedo's Senior Premium Broker closed two 6-figure sales while in the middle  of this wilderness "vacation".

thousands of feet up a mountain, watching bears catch salmon at a waterfall, when he finalized the agreement. By the time he reached the base, the deal was funded. The only bigger letter/number domain sales, regardless of extension, have been A1.com at $260,250 and C4.com at $265,000 - and guess who closed that last one - yep, C4 was Mark's sale too (this past January). We will be charting the H2.com and School.ai sales when our next bi-weekly domain sales report comes out Wednesday evening (August 26).

Sedo CEO Arthur Mai noted, "Mark is a great example of what makes Sedo's brokerage team special. We have brokers who bring real expertise, real relationships, and a genuine drive to get the right deal done – for buyers and sellers alike. Mark is one of them, but he's far from alone." It's true, having covered Sedo for the past 25 years, it has been remarkable to see how many top tier brokers, past and present, have carried the Sedo flag along the way. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so that obviously means a video is even better.  Check out this clip from Sedo to see a lot more of Mark's trek across the splendorous Pacific Northwest and Alaska:

 


(Posted August 20, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0820.htm

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NamesCon Global 2026 Update: The AI Focused Preliminary Agenda Is Out and Ticket Prices are Going Up Friday Night

The 2026 NamesCon Global conference in Miami is coming up fast. If you plan on attending the big event at the Ice Palace in Miami November 11 & 12, now is the time to finalize your travel plans, secure a room at the show hotel - the Marriott Biscayne Bay - and get the best ticket price. If the latter is important to you, register ASAP because prices will be going up Friday night (August 21) at the stroke of midnight. Be sure to use the DNJournal promo code - DNJ20 - at checkout to knock another 20% off the price (on a standard pass you will save $129.80).  

The preliminary NamesCon Global 2026 agenda is now online so you can get a much more detailed look at what the conference organizers have in store for you. As you would expect, AI will be the center

 

of attention, starting with the very first session - Building What Comes Next: The Internet Economy in the Age of AI - in which NamesCon CEO Christian Jaeger, Managing Director Anthony Pombal, Chairman of the Advisory Board Soeren von Varchmin and Chief Evangelist Christian Dawson will set the stage for everything that will follow. 

The latest preview NamesCon distributed noted, "As AI reshapes how people find, hold, and trust things online, ownership itself is being redefined. Domains are no longer just addresses, they’re increasingly becoming part of conversations about digital identity, trust, ownership, and long-term value creation. Together, these sessions explore how the domain industry is reinventing itself for the next generation of the Internet, not simply reflecting on the last one. See the program and start building your NamesCon Global agenda."

I will, or course, be in Miami, both to cover the conference for you and to participate on stage, most notably in the highly anticipated show closing session on November 12 - The Beanstalk Challenge Finale: Building Something Real - in which I'll sit down with Beanstalk Challenge Founder & Creator Rick Schwartz to review the ground breaking project that will come to an exciting conclusion that day in Miami. 

(Posted August 18, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0818.htm

*****

Brothers in Arms: John Alagna's Million Dollar Decision to Apply for Multiple New TLDs Was Easier to Make With a Key Family Member in His Corner

In my last couple of posts, I covered the opposite ends of the spectrum regarding the number of applications that were filed to to run new top level domains (TLDs) - and who filed them before ICANN's window for applications closed last week. Over 1600 submissions came in with the largest block of them - more than 300 - come from the newly formed Link Freedom Group. As a counterpoint to that story we covered USA Made In America Inc.'s application for a single TLD - .factory - the same strategy that the new company's co-founder, Colin Campbell, used to get .CLUB in the last round of new TLDS back in 2012.

To wrap up the theme, today we have an example of an applicant that, like the majority, followed a middle path, marshaling resources to go after a limited number of domain extensions that were appealing to them. Since it cost $227,000 just to file each new TLD application, you can see why it was wise to carefully consider the prospects for every TLD on your want list before taking the application leap.

Despite the heavy price tag, it seems to some like everybody and his brother had applied to run new TLDs. Well, it wasn't everybody but a well-known somebody was enlisted by his brother to help guide his entrance into the domain race. That somebody was industry veteran Joe Alagna, the Chief Strategy Officer at .it .com Domains, who literally wrote the book - How to Get Your Own Top Level Domain - with co-author Andrey Insarov. Joe's expertise came in very handy when his brother, serial entrepreneur John Alagna, saw running his own TLDs as an opportunity that was too good miss.

Joe Alagna

 

John Alagna
Founder, TLD1 LLC

To make it happen, John started a new company, TLD1 LLC and, with Joe as his adviser, applied for two new generic top-level domains: .bewell and .etc and chose two others - .joinus, and .whatsnew as replacement strings (If their first choices are contested by other applicants ICANN gives applicants a short window to switch to their chosen replacement strings).  

While John is new to the domain business he is no stranger to building successful companies, having scored big wins across  the retail, web services, and insurance industries. His most recent exit was Carolina Heritage Insurance, a Hilton Head Island, Carolina brokerage that he grew into one of the leading independent brokerages on the East Coast before selling it to Relation Insurance Services, a top-25 national brokerage, in 2024.

John noted, "The internet has about six billion users, but fewer than 200 million of them actually create, publish, or sell online. That gap is going to close, and every new creator will need an address they own. We applied for names that are positive, useful, and open to everyone. Each will operate as an open TLD, available to all registrants through ICANN-accredited registrars, with accessible first-year pricing and active DNS abuse prevention."

While there is still a long way to go before ICANN chooses winning applications - including the possibility of having to compete with other applicants for the same TLDs -  John has already contracted .it.com Domains, one of the first ICANN-evaluated registry service providers, as its back-end registry operator.

Joe, who has more than 25 years of experience in the domain industry, said, “I worked with dozens of successful applicants in the 2012 round. The plan here is the one that works: good strings, proven infrastructure, and honest pricing.” 

(Posted August 17, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0817.htm

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The 2026 Round of New gTLDs Has Pulled Colin Campbell Back Into the Domain Game with a New Company and a Singular Focus on .Factory 

In 2012, ICANN radically changed the Internet landscape when it opened the door to over a thousand new top level domains. One of those went to serial entrepreneur Colin Campbell who focused all of his efforts on getting just ONE new extension - .CLUB. That single minded focus and never ending marketing blitz made .CLUB successful enough to get GoDaddy's attention in 2021 when they acquired the .CLUB registry.  Colin continued with his many other ventures and also authored a best selling business book - Start.Scale.Exit.Repeat. 

Fast forward to ICANN's long-awaited 2nd round of new gTLDs - the first opportunity on 14 years  to create a new domain extension. The window for applicants to apply closed earlier this week with 1,600 submissions, including more than 300 from a single entity, Link Feedom Group (LFG). This new round also pulled Colin back into the domain game with an entirely different strategy than LFG is pursuing. Once again, Colin is interested in just ONE new TLD.

This time it is .factory - a quest that prompted him to team up with long-tine colleague and highly respected industry veteran Michele Van Tilborg to create a new company - USA Made in America Inc. - the official applicant for .factory.  

Colin and Michele believe .factory has the potential to become a valuable global digital asset serving manufacturers, technology companies, entrepreneurs, brands and businesses across a wide range of industries.

While the word “factory” traditionally refers to a place where physical goods are manufactured or produced, USA Made in America believes its commercial potential extends well beyond traditional manufacturing into technology, software, artificial intelligence, media, design and other areas where products, ideas and services are created.

Colin said, “We strongly believe that this gTLD will be a great asset to America. The Internet has created entirely new categories of digital real estate, and strong generic words can become valuable infrastructure. We believe .factory has the qualities we look for in a top-level domain: it is short, memorable, globally understood and commercially relevant across many industries.”

Michele, who also serves as President of the new company, added, “Businesses around the world want domain names that actually mean something to their customers. We believe .factory can give companies a new opportunity to secure a meaningful, memorable identity that reflects what they make, build or create, whether that happens in a physical facility or entirely through technology.”

Now, Colin and Michele are well aware that if more than one qualified applicant seeks the same or a conflicting string, the applicants may ultimately need to resolve the contention through settlement or an auction process. As a result, USA Made in America has established a financing strategy that contemplates raising up to $10 million through a private securities offering conducted in reliance on Rule 506(b) of 

Colin Campbell
Co-Founder, USA Made In America Inc.

 

Michele Van Tilborg
Co-Founder & President
USA Made In America Inc.

 

Image from Bigstock

Regulation D. The financing is intended to provide the company with additional capital, if required, to pursue .factory through a potential contention-resolution process or auction and to support related registry development and operating requirements. The financing is contingency capital and may not be required if .factory is not contested or if contention is resolved without an auction. 

Colin has been through this already. When he founded .Club Domains LLC in 2012 the .club string was contested by multiple applicants. His company ultimately secured the rights to operate the TLD through a private auction used to resolve the contention set. If his new company completes their mission to win, .factory it will be operated as an open generic top-level domain available through ICANN-accredited registrars.

There is still a long road ahead before any of the 2026 new gTLD applicants will go live on the Internet. Later this year ICANN will reveal strings, begin initial evaluation of applicants and open a formal objection period. Next year (and likely a year or two beyond) the process will continue with contention resolution, string similarity reviews, contracting and final delegation. 

(Posted August 14, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0814.htm

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Link Freedom Group Goes All In on New gTLDs - Company Filed Over 300 Submissions Before ICANN's New gTLD Application Window Closed Wednesday Night

For the first time in 14 years, ICANN has started the process of creating hundreds of new Top Level Domains. After opening in April, the window to submit applications to run newly created TLDs closed last night (August 12, 2026). While it will be a couple or more months before ICANN reveals exactly what strings were applied for and who applied to run them, we found out today who the most prolific player in this critical opening stage may have been. 

Link Freedom Group (LFG), a new internet infrastructure company built on a foundation laid by Nova Registry (operator of the .link TLD), announced a massive submission of more than 300 proposed TLDs, representing tens of millions of dollars in application fees. That would be the largest TLD submission on record, dating back to the first round of new gTLDs back in 2012. The Company also announced the appointment of Vaughn Liley, General Manager of Nova Registry, as CEO of Link Freedom Group.

Liley said, "The internet has changed dramatically since ICANN last opened applications for new TLDs in 2012. Digital identity has become fundamental to how people communicate, work and participate online, yet users still don’t truly own their place on the internet. From email addresses and social media profiles to personal websites, much of our online presence ultimately exists at the discretion of someone else. We believe the internet’s namespace should reflect how people use the web today, and our mission is to modernize how internet identity works.”

As part of its commitment to transparency LFG has published their full list of submissions now rather than wait for ICANN's Reveal Day (expected  by the end of October). Their portfolio, that can be viewed and downloaded at LFG.link, provides a comprehensive early look at the names and digital verticals the Company believes can help shape the next generation of the internet.

 

 

Vaughn Liley
CEO, Link Freedom Group

Here's a small sampling from their list:
AI & Tech: .llm, .agi, .quantum, .robot 
Commerce: .cart, .brand, .merch, .mall 
Culture: .lfg, .kek, .mvp, .truth, .omg, .boom 
Crypto & Web3: .block, .btc, .coin, .nft 
Lifestyle: .nil, .god, .pop, .zen 
Web Infrastructure & Utility: .portal, .core, .bit, .internet, .url

Liley noted, “The 2026 application window marked the first opportunity in more than a decade to expand one of the internet’s foundational layers—and to challenge the concentration of influence held by a relatively small number of companies that dominate internet infrastructure. Since the last application window, entirely new categories of internet users and businesses have emerged. Yet much of the domain namespace available today was designed for an earlier era of the internet.”

Link Freedom Group’s portfolio will now move into the next stages of ICANN’s evaluation process. After Reveal Day there will be a String Confirmation Day in November 2026, when applicants will confirm their final string selections. It is then expected to take another year or so for ICANN to finish the evaluation process and resolve any objections, with the first uncontested new gTLDs going live in late 2027 or early 2028.  

(Posted August 13, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0813.htm

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ShortDot and Dot Hip Hop Form New Partnership to Unlock Full Potential of .HipHop TLD 

ShortDot and Dot Hip Hop, LLC have announced a new partnership to support the continued growth of the .HipHop top-level domain. Under the agreement, ShortDot will work closely with Dot Hip Hop to market the extension, expand its global registrar distribution, develop its premium domain strategy, and increase registrations worldwide. The collaboration brings together Dot Hip Hop’s cultural vision and ShortDot’s registry, marketing, and registrar expertise.

Created for artists, creators, entrepreneurs, brands, organizations, and communities connected to hip-hop, .HipHop provides the definitive digital identity for one of the world’s most influential cultural movements. 

 

 

Monte Cahn

Lars Jensen

Through the new partnership the two companies aim to increase awareness, strengthen adoption, and create new opportunities for individuals and businesses to build their digital presence on .HipHop.

Monte Cahn, the Executive Managing Director of Dot Hip Hop, LLC, and Founder and President of RightOfTheDot, LLC, said, "When we considered the right partner to help accelerate the next chapter of .HipHop, we wanted more than technical registry expertise. We wanted a team that understands how to build brands, grow registries, and create long-term value. ShortDot has earned an outstanding reputation throughout our industry by consistently delivering results. Their experience, global reach, and marketing capabilities will complement our continued leadership of .HipHop as we work together to expand the extension’s visibility, adoption, and worldwide footprint."

Lars Jensen, CEO and Founder of ShortDot, said, "Being entrusted with the management of .HipHop is a tremendous vote of confidence in our team and our Registry Services business. Monte and the Dot Hip Hop team have built an incredible foundation around a domain that represents one of the world's most influential cultural movements. Our responsibility now is to build on that foundation by expanding global distribution, strengthening registrar partnerships, increasing awareness, and ensuring .HipHop reaches its full potential worldwide. We are honored to lead the next chapter of its journey."

As part of the collaboration, ShortDot will lead global marketing initiatives and support registrar distribution, premium domain development, and commercial growth. Dot Hip Hop and ShortDot will also work together on positioning, outreach, and campaigns designed to grow the extension sustainably over the long term.

(Posted August 12, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0812.htm

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Why GoDaddy's First Ever Liquidation Auction Event is Something Special - Upcoming Sale Opens Sorely Needed Fast Track for Converting Domains Into Cash

Auctions are a critical component of every day life for domain investors, serving the needs of buyers who use them to find under priced bargains and sellers who rely on them for cash flow. Since auctions are being conduced every day on a wide variety of platforms, we don't cover them as news unless they are part of a larger event or have an especially important purpose. The latter case is a rare one but it is embodied by GoDaddy's upcoming Liquidation Auction Event, a three-day sale that runs Tuesday, August 11 through Thursday, August 13, 2026.

With this industry now over 30 years old, GoDaddy recognized a growing need for a way portfolio owners who are retiring or exiting the business for one reason or another, to sell as many domains as 

 

possible at fair prices as determined by the market. The same is true for younger people who are suddenly facing unexpected life changing situations, like the loss of a job, a divorce or a medical emergency.

When I first heard about the event, I thought that's a very good idea, especially with an industry giant like GoDaddy presenting it, which assures it will get maximum attention and attract a broad array of buyers from around the world. However, shortly after I heard about it, the event changed from a "good idea" into something critically important to me. I got the kind of news from a long time friend that you never want to hear - one of those life altering events that cause the kind of shock that makes a crisis personal instead of just a concept.

Late last year he was diagnosed with a rare form of a very aggressive cancer. The 20-year industry veteran has been fighting it ever since and at the same time, trying to liquidate a very good portfolio of domains to meet the needs of his wife and young children if he loses this battle (I won't share his name while the family is in the middle of all of this and haven't yet told everyone close to them about his diagnosis). His domains will be among the more the 2,099 domains that have been submitted to the GoDaddy Liquid Auction Event.

Several veteran auction watchers have posted some of their favorite names from the catalog. Here are some I will highlight, not just because of the situation I talked about above but because they are very good names that are priced to sell:

 

Domain Starting Price
TaxAccountant.com $3,643
Crag.com $3,163
TOG.org $2,781
Backlinking.com $2,682
Beatmakers.com $2,638
Findadate.com $2,575
HOLR.com $2,500
AdventureRacing.com $1,964
EasySEO.com $1,914
MakingMoneyOnline.com $1,879
CollegeCounseling.com $1,692

 

Bidding opens at 9am Arizona time (MST, UTC -7), Tuesday, August 11, 2026, and runs through Thursday, August 13, with closes staggered by the hour across the day. With a more condensed auction window than GoDaddy's popular Premium Auction Events, it would be a good idea to review the list early and keeping close times in mind. You can download the entire catalog here (In addition to the names, it includes the starting prices, around 95% of which are under $150).

Good luck in your bidding and to all of the sellers, some of whom are selling assets they have spent decades acquiring. We all know how much we love our domains, so you can imagine how difficult this is for sellers - but it's also good to know that if this sale tests well, it could become a direly needed life line that any one of us could need in the blink of an eye. 

(Posted August 7, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0807.htm

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New Domain Registrar NamesLink Dives into One of the Industry's Most Completive Pools Confident They Can Out Swim the Pack 

There are currently over 2,500 ICANN accredited domain registrars but the vast majority of those accreditations are used only as private tools for catching expired domain names. That leaves a few hundred that are operating businesses where you can register a name and select from what is becoming an ever wider range of services. A few hundred is still a lot of competition though and with so many well-funded, globally-known brands in the space, getting into that business now is not for the faint of heart. In order to stand out and stay afloat, the leading registrars have invested heavily in diversification so they can serve as one-stop shops with auction platforms for buying and selling names, AI tools for quick website building and cheap hosting accounts that let you open your doors to the entire world.

With all of those headwinds to go against, we don't see a ton of new registrars joining the fray these days but one that just launched this year, Nameslink.com, has taken the plunge. The company is based in Hong Kong but is going after a global clientele right out of the gate. If you're on the NamePros you may have already seen Nameslink representative Pyrmare reaching out to domain investors there. With a variety of bulk management tools and automatic domain appraisals Nameslink clearly has investors in mind - a strategy that makes perfect sense if your aim is to grow quickly. In many cases you would need hundreds or even thousands of individual customers to match what a single professional domain investor can bring through the door. 

 

 

To find out more about what Nameslink is offering and why they believe they can break out of the crowded registrar pack, we connected with Pyrmare who said, "In the past, customers usually needed to deal with third-party tools for security protection, seek value appraisals elsewhere if they were not experienced, spend extra if they wanted to connect their domain to email, and they couldn't build their own website if they didn't have basic coding knowledge. While there are specific tools and communities for each individual need, we have grouped those common requests and provide these features free in a user-friendly ecosystem. So, even if a customer is new to the domain scene, with us, they can smoothly sail their domain career worry-free."

As a Nameslink ambassador to the western world, Pyrmare also said that the company's Hong Kong location is a good thing for customers in the US and Europe, noting, "Hong Kong gives us a unique advantage because it serves as a perfect bridge between the East and the West. While our roots are in Asia, our platform is built with a global audience in mind. Our support team is multilingual and ready to assist with everything from basic registration questions to complex DNS configurations. Because our platform is entirely web-based, customers from the US, Europe, or anywhere else can access our free security, email, and website-building features seamlessly, without any regional restrictions."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image from Bigstock

Pyrmare also ticked off the Nameslink services assembled with domain investors in mind but useful to all. "Our auction platform is designed to be a comprehensive marketplace for both domain investors and everyday users. For expired names, we utilize advanced drop-catching and backorder services to help users secure highly sought-after domains the moment they drop. For registered names, we provide a user-friendly aftermarket where users can easily list their portfolios for sale. What makes our auction platform truly stand out is how it ties into the rest of our ecosystem. Since we offer free value appraisal tools, sellers can easily price their domains competitively, and buyers can make informed bidding decisions. The entire transfer of ownership and funds is handled securely within our dashboard, making the buying and selling process smooth and transparent." 

"I think the most important thing for people to know is our core philosophy: transparency and user empowerment," Pyrmare added. " We noticed that the traditional domain registration model was full of hidden fees, confusing upsells, and fragmented tools, so we built Nameslink to change that narrative. We truly believe that everyone, from a first-time blogger to a seasoned domain investor, deserves an all-in-one platform where essential tools like SSL certificates, privacy protection, email forwarding, and website builders are included at no charge, rather than treated as expensive add-ons. We are constantly listening to our community and rolling out new features based on their feedback. We aren't just here to sell you a domain name; we want to be your long-term partner in building and protecting your online presence," Pyrmare concluded.  

(Posted August 3, 2026) To refer others to the post above only (and not the full Lowdown column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2026/posts/0803.htm

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