When most people think about the internet, they think about websites, apps, and maybe AI. Very few think about the invisible “street addresses” that make all of that possible: domain names.
In 2012, ICANN opened the door for organizations to apply for their own top-level domains (TLDs) – everything to the right of the dot. That round created extensions such as .xyz, .berlin, and.BMW and many others. In April 2026, ICANN is scheduled to do it again, and the application window will be open for only about 90 days. If you miss it, you may be waiting more than a decade for another chance.
Because the process is complex, legal-heavy, and expensive to get wrong, Andrey Insarov and I wrote a book called How to Get Your Own Top-Level Domain: An Insider’s Guide to ICANN’s Application Process. We wanted to take something that’s usually buried in ICANN documents and make it understandable to entrepreneurs, brands, governments, and advisors who sense an opportunity but don’t know where to start.
Patrick H.G Hughes of Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw Today team recently interviewed me about the book, the coming 2026 round, and bigger questions like:
- Why new TLDs matter for the next billion internet users
- How brands can use their own TLD to reduce cybersquatting and stop pouring ad dollars into promoting someone else’s extension
- Why ICANN and its policies still sit at the core of a stable, global internet
- And why, despite all the hype, AI is not going to replace domain names anytime soon.
The Q&A below is the full text of that conversation, originally published on Westlaw Today on August 7, 2025, and reposted here with permission. If you’re even a little bit curious about owning a piece of the internet’s “root,” this will give you a clear, practical starting point.
