The number of global domain names has surpassed 400 million! The domain name industry is entering a new growth cycle.

According to Verisign's latest Domain Name Industry Briefing, as of the end of the second quarter of 2026, the total number of registered top-level domains worldwide officially surpassed 400 million, reaching 401.6 million.

More importantly, this growth is not accidental.

Data shows that the number of global domain names increased by approximately 9.1 million in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter, a quarter-on-quarter increase of 2.3%;

Compared to the same period last year, it increased by 29.9 million, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%. In other words, in just one year, the number of newly added domain names globally approached 30 million.

The numbers reflect a fundamental truth: the internet hasn't stopped evolving; it has simply entered a new phase.

.com Remains King

Among over 400 million domain names globally, the traditional king maintains its powerful influence.

As of the end of the second quarter of 2026, .com domain name registrations reached 166.6 million, consistently holding a dominant position in the global domain name market.

For decades, .com has been regarded by global businesses as the most recognized internet brand entry point.

From large corporations to startups, a short, memorable .com domain name that aligns with brand positioning remains a crucial choice for companies expanding into global markets.

Meanwhile, country code domains (ccTLDs) have also maintained steady growth, currently reaching 148.6 million registrations worldwide, with .cn, .de, and .uk continuing to rank among the top.

This demonstrates that the demand for domain names remains strong, whether for international brands or domestic companies building online businesses.

The AI ​​Era Revitalizes Domain Name Value

If the past 20 years saw domain name growth primarily driven by internet companies, e-commerce, and mobile applications, today, AI is becoming a new force driving the domain name market.

In recent years, numerous artificial intelligence startups have chosen domain names with technological attributes to build their brands, such as the highly popular .ai domain.

With the continued AI startup boom, demand for .ai domains has grown rapidly, making it one of the most representative technology domains of the AI ​​era.

Related data shows that .ai domain registrations have been steadily increasing in recent years, attracting significant attention from AI companies and investment institutions.

This reflects a growing trend:

Businesses' demand for domain names is shifting from "having a website" to "how to build a more valuable digital brand."

Behind 400 million domain names lies a continuously growing digital asset market. From the birth of the first domain name to the current global total of over 400 million, the domain name industry has undergone decades of development.

However, it hasn't disappeared with technological changes; instead, it has evolved alongside each wave of the internet revolution.

In the Web 1 era, businesses needed domain names to establish official websites;

In the mobile internet era, domain names became online entry points for brands;

In the AI ​​era, domain names are becoming crucial assets for new businesses to gain market recognition.

This milestone of over 400 million global domain names is not just a numerical breakthrough, but also represents the continued vitality of the internet business ecosystem.

In the future, as more and more businesses move towards digitalization and globalization, domain names, as a vital connection between brands and users, will continue to play a long-term role in value.

As a leading global premium domain name trading platform, DN.com continuously monitors changes in the global domain name market, gathering high-quality domain name assets in popular fields such as AI, finance, and Web3, providing professional trading services for corporate brand upgrades and global expansion.