ICANN Releases 1,615 New gTLD Applications: Next Round of Domain Expansion Officially Revealed

On October 7, ICANN officially announced the 2026 new generic top-level domain name (gTLD) application information.

Data shows that there were 1.615 valid applications in this round, coming from 481 applicants. This is another large-scale expansion of the domain name system following the 2012 new gTLD plan.

Judging from the data disclosed so far, there are 333 brand applications and 21 international domain name (IDN) applications. At the same time, a large number of applications are related to emerging fields such as AI, technology, and digital services.

What deserves more attention is that there are competing applications for AI-related suffixes such as .agent, .agi, .asi, and .intelligence.

For example, OpenAI submitted multiple applications including .openai, .chatgpt, .gpt, .agent, .agi, .asi, .model, .voice, etc.; Meta also applied for multiple suffixes including .facebook, .instagram, .whatsapp, .threads, .meta, .llama, .metaai, etc.

This illustrates an obvious trend:

The new round of gTLD competition is no longer just about “adding a few domain name suffixes”, but also competing for the digital identity entrance of the next generation Internet.

What are the key trends to watch in the domain name industry?

First, branded domain extensions continue to attract the attention of major corporations.

For large tech companies, owning a proprietary branded TLD (Top-Level Domain) means placing the brand at the very pinnacle of the domain name hierarchy. It represents an evolution from the traditional "brand.com" model toward a more unified digital brand ecosystem.

Second, AI is visibly influencing domain naming conventions.

In the past, key internet extensions were .com, .net, and .org; later, emerging extensions like .io, .ai, and .app appeared.

In this current round of applications, terms such as .agent, .agi, and .asi have entered the race, reflecting the AI ​​industry's shift from the "model era" to the "agent era."

It is particularly noteworthy that .agent has received 13 applications—a level of competition surpassing even .agi and .asi. Of course, these are merely applications at this stage; they do not guarantee that the extensions will ultimately be approved or opened for registration.

However, the emergence of new gTLDs does not imply a decline in the value of traditional domains.

For domain investors, this is perhaps the most critical point to consider regarding this round of new gTLDs.

Past waves of new extensions did not cause .com to disappear. On the contrary, as corporate brand value grows, premium .com domains remain the digital assets that many companies ultimately aspire to own.

The rise of .ai also demonstrates that:

While new extensions can create new markets, only those possessing true scarcity, brand recognition, and practical utility are likely to endure.

Therefore, the most significant aspect of these 1,615 applications is not simply the proliferation of domain extensions, but rather:

Which extensions will succeed in establishing genuine user recognition?

This will likely determine where the next generation of long-term, high-value digital assets will emerge.

The next phase has begun.

Following ICANN's release of application details, eligible applicants will enter the "Replacement Period" (for string replacement) from October 8 to October 21.

This will be followed by "String Confirmation Day" on November 17, when the final confirmed application strings and updated competitive sets will be announced. The public comment and objection period will also begin on this date and run until March 16, 2027.

In other words, the 1,615 applications mark only the beginning—not the end—of this new gTLD race.

For the domain industry, the real question to watch going forward is:

Which new extensions will stand out and become the next ".ai"?

Do you see more potential in AI-related extensions, brand extensions, or generic industry extensions?