New gTLD Momentum Is Reshaping the Domain Market Ahead of the 2026 Application Round

John Matson recently published an insightful analysis highlighting how New gTLDs performed in 2025. His conclusions are particularly relevant as the industry prepares for the next ICANN application round expected to open in April 2026.

The data shows something many of us working closely in the domain industry have been observing over the past few years: the New gTLD segment is steadily becoming a meaningful contributor to global domain growth.

According to the Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB), global domain registrations reached 386.9 million names in 2025, representing 6.1% year-over-year growth. That alone is noteworthy because it marks the first time global domain growth has crossed the 6% mark since 2014, which coincidentally was the year the last round of New gTLDs launched.

Even more interesting is how that growth is distributed across different domain categories.

The first chart illustrates how the global domain market has evolved since 2012, just before the last new gTLD round.

A few patterns become immediately clear.

The .com namespace remains the single largest segment, growing from roughly 106 million domains in 2012 to about 161 million in 2025. Despite occasional fluctuations, .com has maintained strong long-term stability and remains the backbone of the domain industry.

At the same time, ccTLDs continue to represent the largest combined share of the domain market, accounting for roughly 146 million domains in 2025. National domain extensions such as .de, .uk, .cn, and .in have consistently grown as countries strengthen their local digital ecosystems.

However, the most dynamic category over the past decade has clearly been New gTLDs.

New gTLD registrations expanded from essentially zero in 2012 to approximately 48 million domains by 2025. In fact, as John Matson pointed out in his analysis, New gTLDs alone added around 11 million domains in 2025, representing roughly half of the total global domain growth during the year.

That is a remarkable contribution for a segment that many initially dismissed as experimental.

It also reinforces an important observation: the domain industry is not static. It continues to evolve as new naming options emerge and businesses, developers, and consumers explore alternative digital identities.

Market Share Shifts in the Domain Industry

The second chart adds another layer of insight by showing how the market share of each domain category has changed over time.

For most of the past decade, the domain market has been dominated by two groups: .com and ccTLDs. Together they still represent the majority of global domain registrations.

But the chart clearly shows that New gTLDs are steadily gaining share.

In 2025:

New gTLDs gained +2.3% market share

.com declined −1.3%

ccTLDs declined −1.0%

This does not mean .com is disappearing or losing relevance. In fact, as John highlighted, .com actually returned to growth in 2025, increasing by roughly 3% after two years of decline.

What these numbers really indicate is something more nuanced.

The domain name market is expanding and diversifying at the same time.

Rather than replacing .com, New gTLDs are increasingly becoming complementary namespaces that serve different purposes: branding, product launches, communities, developer ecosystems, and specialized online identities.

Examples like .app and .dev, which have seen strong adoption among developers and technology companies, demonstrate how targeted namespaces can build real ecosystems around specific audiences.

The Growth Story Behind Individual New gTLDs

The 2025 numbers also highlight how some New gTLDs experienced explosive expansion.

Among the notable examples:

• .xyz grew 113% to reach 8.1 million domains

• .top grew 93% to reach 5.7 million domains

• .info grew 39%

• .mobi grew 74%

These figures show that certain extensions are capturing significant attention in the market.

However, as John correctly points out, raw registration growth alone does not tell the full story.

Why Renewal Rates Matter More Than Registrations

One of the most valuable parts of John Matson’s analysis is his discussion of renewal rates, which provide deeper insight into the true health of a domain namespace. Registrations can be influenced by promotions, discounts, or speculative activity. Renewals, on the other hand, represent a conscious decision by the registrant to keep paying for the domain at its normal price.

In other words, renewal rates reveal whether domains are actually being used or valued long-term. This is where New gTLDs show a different profile compared to legacy namespaces.

While .com renewal rates have steadily increased from 74% in 2019 to around 75% in 2025, the average renewal rate across the New gTLD category has generally remained in the low-30% range. At first glance, that may appear concerning. But averages can hide important differences between individual extensions.

Some New gTLDs demonstrate significantly stronger retention.

For example:

• .app achieved around a 67% renewal rate

• .dev reached approximately 80% renewal

These numbers are comparable to, and in some cases even stronger than, legacy domain extensions.

The implication is clear: when a New gTLD develops a real ecosystem and meaningful usage, its renewal performance can be very strong.

What This Means for the Next New gTLD Round

As ICANN prepares to open the next application window in April 2026, these trends carry important implications.

The first round of New gTLDs taught the industry several key lessons:

• Success depends on clear positioning and use case

• Discount-driven volume alone does not create long-term value

• Real adoption leads to strong renewal rates and sustainable growth

The 2025 market data suggests the domain ecosystem has matured significantly since the first round. Businesses are more familiar with alternative extensions. Developers increasingly adopt purpose-built namespaces. And brand owners are beginning to understand the strategic value of owning their own top-level domain. All of this points to a market that is far more prepared for the next phase of namespace expansion.

A Market Ready for the Next Chapter

John Matson’s analysis provides a balanced and data-driven perspective on where the domain industry stands today.

New gTLDs are growing faster than any other category. They are gaining market share. And they are contributing significantly to overall domain market expansion. At the same time, the long-term winners will ultimately be determined not just by registration numbers, but by real usage and sustainable renewal behavior.

As we approach the 2026 New gTLD application round, the data from 2025 suggests that the domain market is entering a new stage of evolution. The next wave of TLDs will likely be shaped not only by creativity in naming, but by a deeper understanding of how digital identities are actually used on the internet. And if the current trends continue, the next chapter of the domain name industry may be even more transformative than the last.