Unstoppable Domains has dropped plans to seek ICANN recognition for its own Web3 domain extensions after finding that compliance, application, and auction costs would exceed the sales it expected to recover.
ICANN Costs Became Too High for Web3 Extensions
Unstoppable Domains said it did not submit ICANN applications for nine of its Web3 extensions, including .crypto, .wallet and .blockchain, before the 2026 application round closed. The decision ends its plan to add conventional DNS support to the affected blockchain-based domains. According to founder Matthew Gould, the expected cost of compliance, preparing each application, and competing in possible auctions exceeded the amount Unstoppable believed it could recover through domain sales.
The company has notified affected customers by email and plans to refund purchases tied to extensions that it did not take into the 2026 application round. However, Unstoppable has not publicly released a complete list of eligible extensions, the amount covered by each refund, or the process customers must follow. This decision impacts the broader Web3 naming ecosystem, similar to how wallet infrastructure upgrades affect user experience in crypto.
The Decision Ends a Commitment Dating to 2019
Since 2019, Unstoppable Domains has promoted the prospect that extensions such as .crypto and .wallet could eventually connect Web3 naming with the traditional internet. Gaining ICANN approval would have allowed an accepted extension to work through ordinary DNS infrastructure instead of relying mainly on compatible wallets and applications. In June 2024, Unstoppable and Blockchain.com were preparing a .blockchain application for the next ICANN round.
Another partnership followed in May 2025, when Brave and Unstoppable launched the .brave domain for the browser's users. Without ICANN recognition, a blockchain domain and a DNS name using the same text can exist in separate naming systems. Standard browsers generally resolve ICANN-approved names by default, while Web3 names depend on supporting software. The domain naming landscape intersects with blockchain infrastructure in various ways, as seen with XRPL-based asset transfers that use ledger-based naming.
ICANN Received More Than 1,600 Applications
ICANN opened the 2026 round on April 30 and accepted submissions for 15 weeks before closing on Aug. 12. It was the first opportunity in years for companies to request new generic top-level domains. ICANN said it received more than 1,600 primary applications, with most submissions arriving during the final days. After an administrative review, ICANN plans to publish the public portions of the submissions on Reveal Day.
Unstoppable has not withdrawn from ICANN-related business altogether. Gould said the company will continue participating as a service provider for partner applications. Telegram has applied for .gram in the 2026 round, with Unstoppable acting as its registry service provider. Ethereum Name Service has taken a separate route, with ENS token holders approving a foundation overhaul to pursue .ens as a conventional top-level domain.
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