ICANN85: A Turning Point for the Next Era of Domains
By Bob Mountain, Chief Commercial & Revenue Officer, D3
Last week I joined the global Internet community in Mumbai, India for the ICANN85 Community Forum, held from March 7-12 at the Jio World Convention Centre.
ICANN meetings bring together the organizations responsible for coordinating the domain name system: registries, registrars, policymakers, and infrastructure leaders who collectively shape how the Internet’s naming layer evolves.
Having spent nearly two decades working in the domain industry, first helping build the domain aftermarket at Afternic, and later working across global registrar partnerships at GoDaddy, it’s always valuable to step back into the ICANN community and see where the industry is heading.
What stood out most this year is that the domain ecosystem is entering a new phase. The DNS infrastructure that powers the Internet remains one of the most stable and successful systems ever built. But at the same time, new technologies are emerging that can expand what domains are capable of.
For the first time, traditional Web2 domain infrastructure and onchain systems are beginning to intersect. That intersection is exactly where Doma is focused.
Doma is designed as a DNS (and ICANN) compatible blockchain infrastructure, allowing domains to become tokenized and liquid while remaining fully compliant with the systems that registrars, registries, and ICANN rely on today.
Throughout the week in Mumbai, we connected with partners across the DNS ecosystem and discussed how infrastructure like Doma can extend the capabilities of the domain market while preserving the governance and operational frameworks that have made the DNS successful for decades.
A Major Policy Milestone for the Domain Industry
One of the most important outcomes of ICANN85 was the ICANN Board’s approval of the 2026 Base Registry Agreement (RA) for the upcoming New gTLD Program: 2026 Round.
The Registry Agreement defines the rights, responsibilities, and operational standards that registry operators must follow when running a top-level domain. In practical terms, it establishes the contractual and technical framework that will govern the next generation of TLDs entering the DNS ecosystem.
The approval follows years of work across ICANN’s multi stakeholder community, including discussions with the Implementation Review Team and several public comment periods.
The upcoming 2026 round will introduce a new wave of domain namespaces, expanding the Internet’s naming layer and creating new opportunities for innovation across the domain ecosystem.
Moments like this are important inflection points for the industry. Every new TLD round expands the scope of the DNS and creates opportunities for new infrastructure and markets to emerge around it.
Doma: Extending the Domain Economy
Historically, domains have been valuable assets but relatively illiquid ones. Investors often hold names for years waiting for a single buyer.
Doma introduces a new infrastructure layer that changes that dynamic.
As a DNS-compliant blockchain, Doma enables domains to be tokenized and traded in liquid markets while remaining fully compatible with registrars, registries, and the broader DNS ecosystem.
This unlocks capabilities the industry has discussed for years:
- fractional ownership
- instant liquidity
- global, 24/7 open market exposure
- access to new buyers
Importantly, this approach does not replace the existing domain system.
It builds on top of it.
Doma is designed to extend the reach of the DNS, giving domain owners access to new forms of liquidity and participation while maintaining the registrar relationships and governance structures that make the Internet’s naming system work.
As I mentioned recently on the podcast with DNW:
“This isn’t about disrupting or replacing the domain industry. At Doma we are expanding the industry’s capabilities. By bringing DNS-compliant tokenization to registrars, we can unlock fractional ownership, instant settlement, and global liquidity while preserving the relationships and frameworks that make this industry function.”
Continuing the Conversation: Doma OnAir
If you’re interested in a deeper look at the conversations coming out of ICANN85, we’ll be diving into them live this week.
On Tuesday, we’re hosting the premiere of Doma OnAir, our new livestream series focused on the future of domains, infrastructure, and DomainFi.
I will join this first episode and share additional insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives from ICANN85 in Mumbai, including what the upcoming 2026 gTLD round could mean for the next phase of the domain industry.
Expect a candid discussion on where the domain market is heading, how DNS-compliant tokenization fits into the evolving ecosystem, and what opportunities may emerge as Web2 and Web3 infrastructure begin to converge.
Keep an eye on our X account tomorrow at 1PM PST and join us there live.
Join us at Dominion 2026
If you want a front-row seat to where the domain industry is heading next, I’d also like to personally invite you to Dominion 2026.
It’s an opportunity to connect directly with the people building the next phase of the domain economy and to see firsthand how platforms like Doma are extending what domains can become through bridging Web2 with Web3.
Get 10% off and secure your spot using this link.
DNS Women Session
During the forum, the team also joined the DNS Women session, a networking initiative focused on advancing women’s participation across the DNS industry and Internet governance.
The session brought together professionals from across the ecosystem to share insights, build connections, and support greater diversity in the domain industry. Events like this play an important role in building a more diverse and collaborative Internet infrastructure community.
Looking Ahead
ICANN85 concluded with the Public Forum and Board Meeting, wrapping up a week of discussion, collaboration, and forward-looking dialogue.
My biggest takeaway from Mumbai is this:
The domain industry is entering a new phase of infrastructure evolution. The DNS will continue to provide the stable foundation it always has, but new systems like Doma are beginning to extend what domains can be, transforming them into liquid, programmable digital assets while remaining fully compatible with the Internet’s existing governance frameworks.
The conversations happening across the ICANN community today will shape the next era of the domain economy. And we’re excited to help build that future.
