Domain Industry Expert Reacts to MKBHD’s “7 Keys to the Internet” — What It Really Means for ICANN’s Next Round of New gTLDs

When Marques Brownlee’s team dropped their podcast “ICANN and the 7 Keys to the Internet” the domain community lit up. Few mainstream creators ever try to explain how the internet’s naming system really works — from DNS and top-level domains to ICANN’s key-signing ceremony. For casual listeners, it was an eye-opening story about seven people holding literal keys to keep the internet secure. But for those of us who live and breathe domains, this was much more than a tech curiosity — it was a public moment for the quiet infrastructure that powers every . com, . org, and .pizza on earth.

As someone who’s spent over a decade helping companies apply for new gTLD ICANN accreditations, I found the video fascinating not just for what it got right — but for what it hinted at without quite saying. The episode explained how a private company like Donuts Inc. (now Identity Digital) can run hundreds of domain endings — from .pizza to .voyage — under ICANN’s global oversight. That’s the part most people miss: ICANN doesn’t “own” the internet; it delegates management of custom top-level domain names to trusted registry operators who meet strict technical, financial, and policy standards. Those operators apply through what’s called the ICANN TLD application process — and that’s exactly what’s about to open again in the ICANN Next Round.

“Who Owns the Internet?” Isn’t the Right Question

In the podcast, the hosts asked the right questions — Who owns top-level domains? How does ICANN decide who gets .pizza or .app? — and the answer is surprisingly democratic. ICANN runs global application rounds where anyone, from a brand to a startup to a city government, can apply for new gTLD online. The last time this happened was in 2012, when over 1,900 new gTLD applications came in, launching extensions like .shop, .tech, .london and .microsoft. Those are what we now call the New TLDs 2012 batch — and in 2026, the next wave, often dubbed New TLDs 2025, will open.

This upcoming round will run on a modernized platform with a streamlined ICANN Applicant Guidebook (the Icann applicant guidebook pdf is already in draft form) and a full-digital Icann new gTLD program login portal. Applicants will need to prove they can operate their registry either independently or through an approved ICANN RSP (Registry Service Provider). And for those in developing regions or non-profits, ICANN’s Applicant Support Program (ASP) can reduce fees by 75 to 85 percent — a crucial opportunity many still overlook.

What the Podcast Didn’t Cover: The Business of TLDs

Where the MKBHD team marveled at the security rituals and DNS ceremonies, my takeaway was about opportunity. Every TLD you see — .pizza, .shop, .bank — began as someone’s idea backed by a strong business plan. ICANN doesn’t just sell names; it evaluates complete registry models. That’s where consultants like me come in. When clients reach out to apply for new gTLD ICANN approval, we help them with everything from risk assessment and legal clearance to financial modeling and marketing strategy. Whether you want to run .city for your municipality or .brand for your enterprise, you need a blueprint showing ICANN how you’ll sustain your custom top-level domain name safely and compliantly.

Remember the hosts’ surprise that a single company could own 25 percent of TLDs? That’s not monopoly — that’s first-mover advantage from the last round. This time, the field is wide open again. Governments, tech firms, universities, and consumer brands all have the chance to carve out their own namespace. That’s why monitoring your New gTLD application status and preparing early matters.

Why the Next Round Could Redefine Digital Identity

The 2026 ICANN Next Round isn’t just about giving global brands a vanity domain — it’s about reshaping how the internet itself organizes trust, access, and governance. This will likely be the most open opportunity in years for anyone — from public institutions to private enterprises — to create their own digital infrastructure at the root level.

For governments, new gTLDs offer a way to build secure, verified digital public services: think citizen.country, tax.govname, or health.state. For universities and cities, it’s about community identity — admissions.university, metro.city, or tourism.region. For startups, it’s the chance to launch platforms like exchange.tech, wallet.app, or connect.ai under their own trusted namespace instead of competing for visibility on rented subdomains.

Owning a TLD means controlling how users authenticate, how information flows, and how your ecosystem scales globally. It’s a foundation for cybersecurity, interoperability, and user confidence. Whether you’re a regulator enforcing data protection, a fintech company securing digital transactions, or a developer building the next-generation web platform, your ICANN custom TLD becomes a backbone of your identity.

The next round of ICANN new gTLD applications will define not just who has a dot-brand but who builds the next layer of the internet. This is not a marketing move — it’s a chance to architect the future of digital identity, governance, and trust for decades to come.

Thoughts from Venkatesh

As I often tell clients, the internet isn’t a static product; it’s a living ecosystem. The MKBHD video captured the human side of ICANN — the engineers and keyholders who literally safeguard trust online. My role is to help organizations join that ecosystem the right way: guiding them through the ICANN Applicant Guidebook, preparing their documentation, working with ICANN RSPs, handling clarifications, and managing launch strategy once the TLD is delegated. From idea to execution, it’s a journey — and the next round is your chance to make history.

So when you finish that podcast and wonder how you could ever get your own .pizza or .brand — just remember: it all starts with one application, one strategy, and the right partner who knows how to navigate ICANN’s world.

MKBHD’s “7 Keys to the Internet”

Watch the podcast here - MKBHD's ICANN and the "7 Keys to the Internet” : ICANN and the 7 Keys to the Internet