The domain name industry closed the fourth quarter of 2025 with 386.9 million domain name registrations worldwide, according to the latest Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) report published by DNIB.com and sponsored by Verisign.

A practical guide for applicants preparing for the ICANN review process Becoming an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar is not a formality. It is a regulated onboarding process governed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) (https://www.icann.org) and designed to ensure that only financially stable, legally compliant, and operationally capable entities are allowed to sell domain names directly to the public.

As 2026 begins, the global domain name industry finds itself at an interesting inflection point. On one hand, growth indicators are stronger than even ICANN anticipated just months ago. On the other hand, ICANN’s compliance actions in early January send a clear signal: growth without governance will not be tolerated.