The global domain name space continues to expand and has reached a new all-time high, but growth is now steady rather than explosive, reflecting a more mature industry. Created through a dynamic partnership between InterNetX and Sedo, the Global Domain Report 2026 takes readers on “a journey through the domain universe,” delivering actionable insights into a market that is expanding and intensifying at once.
As we navigate 2026, the industry is witnessing a structural transformation where domains are transitioning from simple destinations for human users into foundational trust and identity layers for the AI-driven web.
The General Market Landscape: Steady Growth and Legacy Anchors
In 2025, the global domain market reached 386.9 million registered domains, representing a steady YoY growth of +2.2%. The current landscape is built on three strong pillars: around 194 million gTLDs, 146 million ccTLDs, and nearly 48 million new gTLDs.
Legacy gTLDs remain the backbone of the market, yet their dominance is slowly decreasing as ccTLDs and selected new gTLDs gain share. Unsurprisingly, .com dominates the chart, reaching about 161 million registrations and continuing to act as the primary launchpad for the web. It accounts for 48.5% of all developed websites, underscoring its long-term trust and professional usage.
However, ccTLDs remain vital, making up 37.6% of the market category share. The ccTLD landscape is highly concentrated, with .tk, .cn, and .de leading the field. European ccTLDs, in particular, reflect a mature and resilient market. Over the past decade, they have shifted from high-velocity expansion to a more mature, steady orbit, characterized by slower net growth (+1.9% in 2025) but highly stable retention rates hovering around 86%.
AI and Vibe-Coding disrupts domain registrations
Perhaps the most profound shift shaping the industry in 2026 is the integration of Artificial Intelligence. According to the industry survey conducted for the Global Domain Report 2026, 66% of respondents reported that AI had an impact on demand, sourcing, or sales in 2025. Participants see the greatest potential lies in AI name generation (44.4%) and automated valuation (40.9%), which are streamlining the domain discovery journey.
A key driver of new domain demand is the “vibe-coding” revolution. Vibe-coding describes a new AI-assisted way of building software where people describe what they want in natural language and large language models (LLMs) generate the code, often all the way to a deployed app. In 2025, a key surprise was the surge of new on-ramps to getting online, as no-code and vibe-coding tools made building a web presence dramatically easier.
This shifts domain discovery from a manual search box to conversational prompts. Instead of typing keywords into a domain checker, users describe their idea, and AI proposes matching names. AI agents are increasingly acting as domain resellers checking availability, registering names, and configuring DNS without human intervention.
In the AI Web a domain has a new role. It is no longer just a signpost for human users; it is increasingly a signal for models, a stable anchor for training data, and a trust marker for automated systems. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) shifts the focus from “rank and click” to “be chosen and used,” making clear entity signals and strong domain authority critical for LLM selection.
This massive commercial integration of AI is perfectly mirrored in the explosive growth of the .ai extension. The TLD reached the 1 million registration milestone in January 2026. The .ai extension continues to prove its durability, confirming its momentum.
The Maturation of New gTLDs and the 2026 Program
New gTLDs are no longer a niche segment; they now form a meaningful secondary layer of the domain market. In 2025, new gTLDs accounted for 12.4% of total registrations, boasting an impressive +29.9% YoY growth rate. A small group of high-volume, online keyword-oriented strings dominates this space. At the forefront are .xyz (8.1M), .top (5.7M), and .shop (3.7M).
The industry is now bracing for the New gTLD Program 2026, which will be the next major expansion of the DNS. With the application window opening in April 2026, this round represents a fresh opportunity for businesses, communities, and brands to operate tailored, secure online spaces. Our survey data reveals that revenue opportunities (40%) and brand protection/defensive strategies (32.7%) are the primary drivers for participation. Conversely, application/ongoing costs (40.5%) and marketing budgets (38%) are viewed as the most significant obstacles.
Aftermarket Insights: Liquidity, Buy Now Dominance, and Mid-Market Power
The domain aftermarket in 2025 proved its strength as a dynamic and liquid global marketplace. Transaction volumes at Sedo rose significantly, accompanied by a shift toward transparent purchasing channels. Buy Now (fixed-price) transactions clearly dominated, accounting for 76% of all sales, highlighting a growing preference for fast, frictionless acquisition.
Another structural shift was the growing impact of SedoMLS. For the first time, the majority of transactions (56%) were completed via SedoMLS partner channels rather than directly on the Sedo marketplace, acting as a key driver of liquidity and connecting premium domains with end-users in the primary market.
At the top end of the market, .com domains continued to dominate the highest public sales. However, the broader aftermarket is driven by the mid-market segment. Sedo’s data shows that the vast majority of trading activity takes place at price levels accessible to SMEs and startups, with most sales falling in the sub-$10,000 range. The average sales price across the board reached $2,753, while the median price sat at $818.
Length remains a critical value indicator. Very short domains commanded the highest median prices, with two-letter names leading the pack. Interestingly, the median price for a 2-letter .com remained robust at $30,000 in 2025.
Security, Abuse Mitigation, and Brand Protection
Because DNS is considered critical infrastructure, managing DNS abuse is essential. That’s why the Global Domain Report 2026 dedicates a full section to DNS abuse and security.
From December 2023 through November 2025, NetBeacon MAP measured far more unique domains associated with phishing (98.3%) than malware distribution (1.7%). Crucially, roughly 85.1% of abusive domains over the last 12 months were maliciously registered, while only 14.9% were compromised websites. The industry has responded effectively: in the most recent 12 months, the average mitigation rate for malicious registrations was about 91%. Furthermore, mitigation is relatively fast, with 73% of cases addressed within 72 hours, and 51.8% within the first 24 hours.
Brand protection remains a focal point. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reached a new milestone in 2025, managing over 6,200 domain name cases—its highest caseload on record. While .com remains the main arena for disputes, brand owners are increasingly utilizing the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) to monitor new gTLDs. In 2025, new gTLDs accounted for 28.6% of new trademark protections, a massive leap from their historical 5.4% share, proving that brands are fortifying their positions in younger, commercially viable namespaces.
Looking Ahead: Navigating Integration, AI, and the New Era of Digital Trust
As we push deeper into 2026, the domain industry is defined not only by creation, but by integration. With the impending new gTLD program, evolving regulatory frameworks like NIS2, and the explosive integration of vibe-coding, domains are cementing their role as verifiable digital trust anchors. For professionals navigating this space, success will rely on providing compliant, secure infrastructure and leveraging AI to automate discovery and lifecycle management.
Want to explore the numbers behind these trends? Download the Global Domain Report 2026 to unlock exclusive domain data insights and learn all about where the domain industry is heading next.
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