Unstoppable Domains has decided not to file applications for its Web3 top-level domains in ICANN’s 2026 expansion round, according to founder Matthew Gould, and the company will refund customers who bought related domains. Gould said the compliance, application, and bidding costs required to bring Web3 domains into the ICANN system were higher than the sales revenue the company expected to recover. The move ends a pledge the company had made since 2019 that domains such as .crypto and .wallet could eventually resolve in standard web browsers. ICANN’s application window for the current round opened on April 30 and closed on Aug. 12, drawing more than 1,600 primary applications. Gould said customers had been notified by email, though the company has not disclosed which extensions are affected or what refund terms will apply. Some holders have questioned the scope of refunds, saying they held the domains based on Unstoppable’s earlier commitment to pursue an ICANN application. Gould said the Web3 domains will still exist as onchain assets for crypto transactions. Unstoppable also remains active in ICANN-related business as a service provider and had previously announced a joint .gram application with Telegram. ENS, by contrast, is pursuing .ens through a restructured ENS Foundation, while not seeking .eth because it is reserved under ISO 3166-1 as a country-code designation.
Unstoppable Domains did not submit applications for its Web3 top-level domains in ICANN’s 2026 expansion round and will refund customers who bought those domains, founder Matthew Gould said.
Gould said the compliance, application, and bidding costs needed to place Web3 domains inside the ICANN system were higher than the sales revenue the company expected to recover. That decision ends a commitment Unstoppable had made since 2019 that extensions including .crypto and .wallet could eventually resolve in standard web browsers.
ICANN round drew more than 1,600 primary applications
ICANN opened the application window for the current round on April 30 and closed it on Aug. 12. The process received more than 1,600 primary applications.
According to Gould, customers have already been notified by email. He did not disclose which extensions are affected, and the company has not published the refund terms.
Some holders question how far refunds will go
Some holders have challenged the scope of the refund plan, saying they held the domains based on Unstoppable’s earlier promise that it would pursue ICANN applications for them.
Gould said the Web3 domains will still function as onchain assets used for crypto transactions.
Unstoppable stays in ICANN work, while ENS takes a different route
Unstoppable remains involved in ICANN-related business as a service provider. The company had previously announced that it would work with Telegram to apply for the .gram domain.
ENS is taking a different route. Token holders have approved a restructuring of the ENS Foundation so it can pursue the .ens top-level domain through ICANN. ENS will not apply for .eth, because that suffix is reserved under ISO 3166-1 as a country-code item.
This article was originally published by Bit.Fan. For more cryptocurrency news and market insights, visit www.bit.fan. Disclaimer:
The market information, project data, and third-party content displayed on this platform are for industry information sharing only and do not constitute any form of investment advice or return commitment.
Cryptocurrency trading carries high risks. Users should fully assess their risk tolerance and make independent decisions. All profits, losses, and legal responsibilities are borne by the users themselves.
