Instead of .com or .org, the websites of the future will end with .facebook, .salesforce - or even .stupid or .meow

Markmonitor Group launches service to help businesses overcome risks from new domains

LONDON, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Markmonitor Group, the global company that manages the domain names of the world's largest companies, welcomed last night's announcement that hundreds of corporations are obtaining their own "Top-Level Domain" to secure their online identity, while issuing a note of caution over the proliferation of new domain extensions that could be used for online scams.

As well as new domain name endings such as .alphabet, .claude, .ethereum, .mitsui, .roblox and .tiktok soon to be used for those companies' official websites, the domain name regulator ICANN also announced last night that hundreds of terms such as .brain, .bro, .geek, .mars, .moon, .nerd, .nsfw, .omg, and .stupid, and geographic names such as .beijing, .roma and bali, could soon become part of the internet infrastructure, subject to an objections process.

Markmonitor Group CEO Ben Crawford said, "We congratulate ICANN on enabling corporations to register their brands at the top level of the internet, once reserved for country codes such as .uk and .fr. Our clients who have embraced this opportunity include many of the world's best-known brands, but also a number of visionary early-stage companies that realize the value of possessing a dotBrand "Top-Level Domain" – the only global and permanent category of intellectual property.

"However, the potential of seeing hundreds of new non-branded domain endings also poses potential risks, including costs for businesses and potential scams targeted at their customers."

Markmonitor Group Senior Vice-President Stuart Fuller added: "We have set up an emergency service for any companies who missed out on this opportunity, who are concerned that their trademarks may be infringed, or who simply need to understand the new risks and opportunities presented by this monumental change to the structure of the internet."

Background in brief

ICANN, the international body that regulates internet domains, published the details of 1,615 applications for new Top-Level Domains (new gTLDs) on Wednesday night (UK time) in a "Reveal Day" event. The applications come from 56 countries.

Anyone could apply for a new gTLD during a window from April to August this year, at a cost of $227,000 payable to ICANN, with ongoing management costs around $100,000 per year. Following initial review by ICANN, details of these applications are now publicly available.

The TLD is the final part of a domain name, after the dot: examples include .com, .org and .net. By securing a new gTLD, an applicant can operate it on an open basis, by offering second-level domains to the public, or use the gTLD exclusively for its own company or brand.

The latest round includes 333 applications for gTLDs comprising brand names (155 from North America, 64 from Europe and 107 from Asia-Pacific). They include:

.adobe, .airbnb, .anthropic, .chatgpt, .ebay, .fitbit, .instagram, .railway, .roblox,  .waymo and .zoho

Several popular terms have attracted multiple applications, including:

.agent, .agentic, .bit, .brand, .crypto, .gpt, .hub and .robot

Critically, there will be mechanisms for owners of existing legal rights (such as trademarks) to challenge any new gTLD application that infringes their rights during this period.

Following yesterday's reveal, until October 21, new gTLD applicants can choose a replacement string rather than their primary string if they wish to avoid potential conflicts.

After this, ICANN will publish a final list of new gTLD applications on November 17. This will mark the beginning of the 104-day formal public comment and objection period.

The last gTLD expansion was in 2012 and led to over 1,200 new gTLDs being added to the internet, including generic terms such as .XYZ, .Shop and .Club, geographical terms such as .London and .NYC and brands including .Sky, .HSBC and .Shell.

Markmonitor Group is the global leader in supporting dotBrand applications and registries and also provides services to thousands of companies globally to manage their domain names and protect their brands online. Markmonitor representatives have been closely involved in the new gTLD application process throughout its development and can provide unique insights into both the opportunities and challenges rising from new gTLDs.

View the 2026 Round Application Statistics and applications here: https://newgtldprogram-aps.icann.org/statistics 

For more details, please visit: https://markmonitorgroup.com

SOURCE Markmonitor