As a generic new gTLD Registry, how much should I sell my domain names to the network of accredited Registrars?

This is one of the most critical decisions for a new gTLD Registry, as there is no fixed price and your wholesale price (the price you charge Registrars) will heavily influence your success. Unlike older gTLDs like .com, new gTLDs have no ICANN price caps, giving you full flexibility.
Your price should be determined by balancing cost recovery, market positioning, and demand generation.

🔑 Key Factors to Determine Your Wholesale Price

Your wholesale price must cover your costs and allow for a healthy profit, while remaining competitive and attractive to both Registrars and end-users.

Factor | Description & Consideration

1. Registry Operating Costs | Calculate your fixed costs (ICANN fees, backend provider, marketing, personnel, etc.). Your wholesale price for standard domains must cover these costs at your projected volume to be sustainable.
2. Target Market and TLD Type | Premium/Niche TLDs: If your TLD is highly specific (e.g., .inc, .bank), a higher price is justifiable due to perceived value, exclusivity, and lower expected volume. Generic TLDs: If your TLD is broad (e.g., .app, .shop), a lower, volume-driven price is often better to compete with established TLDs.
3. Competitive Landscape | Research the wholesale prices of comparable new gTLDs that are targeting a similar audience or are in the same price range. You generally need to offer competitive value relative to alternatives.
4. End-User Price Expectation | Remember, Registrars will add their own markup (which can be 20-100% or more, depending on their strategy). If your wholesale price is $$10, the end-user might pay \$15-\$25. If your wholesale price is too high, the resulting retail price might deter mass adoption.
5. 5. Pricing Structure | Do you plan on a single flat price or a tiered/premium pricing model? Most successful registries use premium pricing.

💰 Standard vs. Premium Pricing Strategy

The industry best practice for new gTLDs is a variable or tiered pricing model:

1. Standard Domains (Bulk Volume)
   These are the vast majority of domains (random strings, long names) that drive volume and retention.
   Goal: Maximize registration volume and market share.
   Wholesale Range: The prices are highly variable for new gTLDs, but a common range for a non-premium standard domain might be between $8 - $25 USD per year to the Registrar.
   Note: This is a rough benchmark; prices can be lower (for high-volume TLDs) or much higher (for niche TLDs).
   Strategy: Keep this price reasonable to encourage Registrars to offer attractive retail prices (often \$15 - \$35 to the customer).
2. Premium Domains (High Margin)
   These are the most valuable, short, generic, or keyword-rich domains (e.g., car.tld, money.tld).
   Goal: Drive significant revenue and ROI.
   Wholesale Range: These can range from $100 to thousands of dollars for a single registration, often with a different (but still high) renewal price.
   Strategy: Create a tiered premium list with multiple price bands. Premiums are crucial for funding your registry operations, especially in the early years. The end-user price can vary greatly (e.g., \$100 to over \$1,000).

📈 Initial Launch and Promotional Considerations

A good pricing strategy also includes promotional elements to drive early adoption:

• Sunrise/Trademark Period: Often priced higher than the general availability price to compensate for the specialized validation process.
• General Availability (GA) Launch: Consider a temporary promotional price (e.g., 20-50% discount) for a limited time to incentivize Registrars to push your TLD and drive early registrations. This price should still be profitable.
• Renewal Price: The wholesale renewal price is critical. A common tactic is to offer a lower initial registration price to registrars, knowing that the renewal price (paid annually) will be significantly higher to ensure long-term profitability. This higher renewal price is what sustains your business.

In summary, instead of aiming for a single number, focus on a structure that includes a sustainable, volume-driving standard price and a lucrative, tiered premium pricing system.

ICANN Round 2 of new gTLDs: is it mandatory to deposit data of a Registry with an escrow agent?

Yes, it is mandatory for gTLD Registry Operators (including those from the New gTLD Program, which is often referred to as "Round 1" and the anticipated "Round 2") to deposit certain registration data with an ICANN-approved Data Escrow Agent (DEA).

This requirement is a key part of the contractual agreement between the Registry Operator and ICANN (the Registry Agreement).

🔑 Key Points

• Mandatory Requirement: Registry Operators are required by their Registry Agreements to escrow specific registration data.
• Purpose: The primary purpose of Registry Data Escrow is to protect the interests of domain name registrants and ensure the stability of the DNS. The escrowed data serves as a continuity mechanism in the event of a Registry Operator's technical, financial, or business failure.
• Agent: The data must be deposited with an ICANN-approved Data Escrow Agent (DEA).
• Schedule: Deposits are typically required on a regular schedule (e.g., daily incremental updates and weekly full deposits).

This requirement is a long-standing and essential safeguard mechanism within ICANN's regulatory framework for generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs).

Can you apply for an ICANN new gTLD with a budget of 800,000€?

While an initial budget of 800,000€ is substantial and likely covers the core ICANN application fee, it is highly unlikely to be enough for the entire process of applying for, launching, and operating a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) successfully.

The total cost can easily escalate to over €1 million, and sometimes much higher, especially if there are disputes or auctions.

Here is a breakdown of the typical costs:

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1. Core ICANN Application Fee 🧾

The mandatory fee you pay directly to ICANN for the application and evaluation process for the upcoming round is significant.

• Expected Fee: $227,000 USD (approximately €210,000 - €220,000 as of late 2024/early 2025, but this is subject to currency fluctuations).

• What it Covers: This fee covers the cost of processing and evaluating your application by ICANN. It is only the entry ticket.

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2. Additional ICANN & Associated Fees ⚖️

This is where the costs begin to increase beyond the baseline.

Cost Component	Estimated Range (USD)	Notes
Conditional Evaluations (e.g., Community Priority, .Brand Status)	$50,000 - $80,000	Optional fees if you seek special status, such as proving you represent a community or applying for a dedicated brand TLD.
Geographic Name Review	$18,000 - $25,000	Mandatory if your TLD could be considered a geographic name (e.g., .PARIS).
Initial Annual Fee	$25,750 USD	A fixed annual fee paid to ICANN, which begins once the gTLD is launched.
Contention Resolution	Unpredictable	If another party applies for the same or a confusingly similar string, you enter a "contention set," which can lead to costly private negotiations, arbitration, or auctions that can cost millions (e.g., .app and .web went for tens of millions in the last round).

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3. Operational & Professional Costs 🛠️

These are the non-ICANN costs that consume the majority of the total budget.

• Application Preparation & Consultancy: Preparing the complex application requires highly specialized consultants, legal advice, and technical experts. This alone can cost hundreds of thousands of euros.

• Registry Backend Services: You need a dedicated technical partner (Registry Service Provider) to handle the DNS, EPP, WHOIS, uptime, and ICANN compliance. This involves:

  • One-time setup fees.

  • Ongoing annual fees (often $25,000 - $100,000+ USD depending on service level).

• Legal Fees: Legal review is mandatory for the application and contracts. If there are objections or disputes, legal fees can quickly reach tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of euros.

• Marketing & Launch: A TLD won't gain users on its own. You need a significant budget for marketing, outreach to registrars, and establishing a presence, which often costs hundreds of thousands of euros per year for a public TLD.

Conclusion

With a budget of 800,000€, you have enough to cover the ICANN application fees, conditional evaluations, and initial consultation.

However, this budget is likely to be insufficient for the total all-in cost which includes legal defense against objections, the technical setup, and the multi-year marketing and operational costs necessary for a successful launch and operation. For an uncontested, simple application, some estimates put the low-end total cost at €300,000–€400,000, but for a public-facing TLD with any contention risk, the true cost is often €500,000 to over €1 million, not including potential auction bids.

Are 4 months enough to decide to submit a new gTLD application in the next ICANN new gTLD round?

That's a very compressed timeframe for such a significant undertaking. The ICANN new gTLD application is a highly complex business and technical proposal that typically requires many months, or even a year or more, of dedicated preparation.

Here's a breakdown of why 4 months is likely not enough time:

⚠️ The Scale of the ICANN Application

The application is essentially a detailed plan to operate a piece of critical Internet infrastructure for many years. It covers:

• Business Plan: Detailed financial projections, marketing strategy, and rationale for the new gTLD.
• Technical Operations: A robust plan for the registry system, including security, stability, scalability, and disaster recovery.
• Legal and Regulatory: Compliance with the comprehensive Applicant Guidebook (AGB) and a detailed understanding of ICANN policies.
• Financial Capability: Demonstrating sufficient funds for the application fee (which was $185,000 USD in the last round, and is expected to be similar or higher), operational setup, and initial years of running the registry.
• Registry Service Provider (RSP): You must either build your own system or, more commonly, contract with an established, ICANN-evaluated Registry Service Provider. This selection and contracting process is time-consuming.

📅 Next Round Timeline (Based on Current Information)

The expected timeline for the next ICANN New gTLD Round suggests that the application window is projected to open in April 2026 and last for about 12-15 weeks.
As of November 2025 (the current time), the Applicant Guidebook (AGB)—the essential rulebook—is expected to have been finalized and published.

• April 2026: Application Submission Period expected to open (for 12-15 weeks).
• December 2025 (Expected): Final Applicant Guidebook (AGB) published.

This means that while the formal submission is still months away, the preparation period is now.

✅ Key Tasks That Take Longer Than 4 Months

• Business Case Development (6+ months): Thorough market research, financial modeling (5-10 years), and legal entity setup.
• Registry Service Provider (RSP) Selection/Contracting (3-6+ months): Identifying an RSP, negotiating a contract, and defining the scope of services. Many RSPs require long lead times for new clients.
• Technical Documentation (3-4 months): The RSP will provide much of this, but you must integrate it, and your legal team must review and approve it for compliance with the AGB.
• Drafting the Application (4-6 months): Answering hundreds of questions and compiling extensive supporting documentation requires multiple drafts and review cycles by business, technical, and legal experts.
• Contention Strategy: If your proposed string is popular (e.g., .app, .web), you'll likely face other applicants. Preparing for potential dispute resolution or an auction requires strategic planning and budget allocation.

In summary, 4 months from deciding to submitting is extremely ambitious and potentially risky.

💡 Your Next Steps Now

If you are committed to applying, you must act immediately and compress the preparation schedule into the remaining time before the April 2026 opening:

• Secure Professional Advisers: Engage specialized gTLD consultants, legal counsel, and financial experts who have experience with the previous ICANN round.
• Define Your TLD & Application Type: Solidify the string (e.g., .brand, .geo, .community) and application category (Standard, Community, etc.).
• Finalize the Registry Service Provider: Sign a Letter of Intent or a contract with a pre-evaluated RSP as quickly as possible, as their technical documents are crucial for your application.
• Study the Applicant Guidebook (AGB): Dedicate a team to review the AGB as soon as it is published (expected by December 2025) to ensure full compliance.

What does the latest ICANN 84 GAC communiqué says about the next new gTLD round2 in 2026?

The ICANN 84 Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) Communiqué was issued following the Annual General Meeting in Dublin (October 25-30, 2025). While the full text of the Communiqué should be reviewed for all GAC advice, the key points regarding the next new gTLD round (expected to launch in 2026) are:

🌐 Key Takeaways on the Next New gTLD Round

• GAC Preparation and Capacity Building: The GAC highlighted its commitment to readying its membership for their role in the Next Round of New gTLDs. This includes devoting substantial resources for capacity development of all committee participants, recognizing the complexity of the process.
• Engagement on the Applicant Guidebook (AGB): The GAC was actively discussing the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook (AGB) and other related subsequent procedures during ICANN 84. The GAC's advice to the Board is often informed by these discussions.
• The Board's Action: The ICANN Board adopted the Applicant Guidebook (AGB) for the 2026 round of the New gTLD Program at ICANN 84, clearing the path for the program launch. The Board directed the ICANN organization (org) to publish the AGB no later than December 30, 2025.

🗓️ Projected Timeline for the Next Round

While the Communiqué focuses on GAC advice, related ICANN announcements made at ICANN 84 confirm the expected timeline:

• Final Applicant Guidebook (AGB) Publication: No later than December 2025.
• Application Submission Period Opens: Projected for April 2026 and expected to remain open for 12–15 weeks.

The GAC continues to emphasize a cautious and well-structured approach to the upcoming round, focusing on priority topics like the Applicant Support Program (ASP), Objections (including Early Warnings and GAC Advice), GeoTLDs (Geographic TLDs), and Contention Sets.

Where are listed all upcoming new gTLD projects?

The primary source for all information regarding upcoming new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) projects is ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which manages the New gTLD Program.

The next round of applications for new gTLDs is called the New gTLD Program: Next Round, and the application window is projected to open in April 2026.

Since the application window has not yet opened, there is no official list of applied-for projects available yet.

📌 Key Resources for Upcoming gTLDs:

• ICANN's New gTLD Program: Next Round Website:
  • This is the official resource for the program's timeline, policy development, and preparation for the next application round. You can find information about the expected application submission period (projected for April 2026) and related support programs.
• ICANN's Current Application Status Page:
  • This page lists all the gTLD strings from the previous round (2012) and their current status (Delegated, Withdrawn, etc.). This is not for the upcoming round, but it shows the format of the official application list once the next round is complete.
• TLD Launch Schedule Websites:
  • Third-party websites that track TLD launches (like TLD-List or Com Laude) often list the latest new gTLDs that are approaching their Sunrise (for trademark owners) or General Availability dates. These are domains that have been approved in the past round and are just now being launched by their registry operators.

In summary, for the Next Round of New gTLDs (expected to open in 2026), ICANN's dedicated website is the place to monitor for updates, timelines, and the future release of the application list.