Beyond Registration Numbers: Insights from the 2025 Domain Survey

The domain industry has rarely been as complex – or as full of opportunity – as it is going into 2026. Geopolitical tensions, inflation and the ongoing energy crisis continue to shape business decisions in Europe and worldwide, while digital transformation and AI keep pushing services and business models online.

To navigate this environment, InterNetX and Sedo have, for several years, been taking the pulse of the industry before compiling the Global Domain Report. The annual sentiment survey captures what domain investors, registries, registrars, service providers, and brand owners really think – not only what the raw registration curves say. This blend of data and expert opinion is what makes the Global Domain Report so relevant for domain experts.

Here we look at the 2025 survey results, compare them with what actually happened in 2024–2025, and highlight what domain professionals – especially in Europe – should watch as we prepare the Global Domain Report 2026.

Taking the pulse: what respondents expected from 2025

Last year’s survey already showed cautious optimism. Almost 40% of respondents expected their domain registration activity to increase in 2025, while only 24% anticipated a contraction. Around 10% even predicted a significant decrease – a reminder that not everyone is bullish, even in a digital-first economy.

This split view is typical of a maturing market: many players see opportunities in niche TLDs, new use cases, and new customer segments, while others struggle with saturated namespaces, cost pressures, or changing business priorities.

From slowdown to rebound: registrations in context

In 2024, the domain industry did not deliver explosive growth, but it did grow. Total registrations rose by about 1.2% to 364.3 million domains at the beginning of 2025, an increase of 4.4 million domains. Legacy gTLDs such as .com and .net actually shrank in terms of registrations, while ccTLDs modestly expanded.

The real growth engine was the new gTLD segment, which increased registrations by 15.9% YoY and reached nearly 37 million domains in 2024. Even though new gTLDs still represent only about 10% of the overall market, their trajectory is clear and the new gTLD program 2026 will further diversify the namespace and intensify competition for attention.

Fresh data from CENTR now suggests that the slowdown may already be behind us. By April 2025, the 300 largest TLDs showed a median annual growth of 3.6%, the strongest since 2022. Asia-Pacific ccTLDs grew by 3.7%, while European ccTLDs were almost flat at 0.4%. Global registrations are estimated at around 380 million, with .com still dominant at roughly 161 million domains (42% of the market), but losing nearly 2 million names over the preceding 12 months.

For European stakeholders, this mixed picture is key: the region’s ccTLDs hold about 20% of the global market (77 million domains) and remain strategically important, even if growth is currently modest.

Security: TLS/SSL as standard, DNSSEC as differentiator

The Global Domain Report 2025 focused on domain security. According to the survey, only 24% of participants experienced a domain‑security‑related incident in 2024.

On the technical side, TLS/SSL has now become the baseline: across all major TLD groups, adoption rates in the report ranged roughly from the mid‑60s to high‑70s percentile, making encrypted connections the norm rather than a differentiator.

DNSSEC is a different story. Overall uptake remains low, but European ccTLDs – particularly in the Nordics – stand out as role models: ccTLDs such as .dk, .se and .no reach DNSSEC adoption rates of up to around 75%. This puts Europe at the forefront of DNS security, even if many registrants and resellers still see DNSSEC as “nice to have” rather than default.

For registries, registrars, and resellers, this gap between TLS/SSL ubiquity and limited DNSSEC usage is a risk and an opportunity: integrating security‑by‑default in bundles and standard offerings could become a differentiator, especially for business and public sector customers.

AI, new regulations, and Web3: the three big trend clusters

When we asked domain professionals which trends are shaping the industry the most, three themes clearly dominated:

• AI & machine learning (48%)
• Digital policies and regulation (39%)
• Blockchain and Web3 domains (35%)

AI and machine learning are already reshaping the industry – from automated naming tools and portfolio valuation to abuse detection – and fundamentally changing how domains are found, used, and managed. Combined with the booming .ai namespace, this shows that AI is not just a buzzword, but a disruptive force changing how domains function on the Internet and how the industry operates.

Digital policy is the second strong pillar – and here NIS2 is front and center for Europe. The NIS2 Directive will reshape how registries, registrars, and critical service providers handle security, incident reporting, and data. Yet 47% of survey respondents said they are not familiar at all with NIS2, while only 16% reported being very familiar. At the same time, 54% expressed concerns about compliance costs and 50% about the technical adjustments NIS2 will require. This suggests that awareness is lagging behind the real impact, and underlines the need for more guidance, best practices, and tooling.

The third cluster combines blockchain and Web3 domains. According to last year’s survey, 32% of respondents were familiar with blockchain-based domain name services and a further 35% were somewhat familiar, while 33% were not familiar at all. The majority are at least “keeping an eye” on this emerging segment.

Ownership is still at an early stage: over half of respondents said they do not own and do not plan to own Web3 domains, but 32% already do. When asked about the future importance of blockchain for domains, 17% said it will be very important, 24% important, and 39% somewhat important; only 19% believe it will not be important. That’s a clear signal that the industry expects Web3 mechanisms to play a role – even if business models are still evolving.

This is exactly where DomainFi experiments become relevant. InterNetX has recently partnered with D3 to domains via the DNS‑compliant Doma Protocol, enabling traditional DNS domains to be represented onchain and bridged into ecosystems such as Solana. This kind of infrastructure could turn domains into real‑world assets with new liquidity, fractional ownership, and DeFi use cases – a development our 2026 survey will track closely.

Premium domains and the aftermarket: value in a selective market

Premium domains remain an important strategic asset for brands and investors, but expectations are measured. In last year’s survey, 9% expected a significant increase and 8% a slight increase in interest in premium domains during 2025, while 44% expected demand to remain stable. The rest anticipated a decline – again reflecting the split between growth and consolidation.

InterNetX data for 2024 showed particularly strong premium market share in new gTLDs such as .art (8.4%), .click (7.8%) and .help (7.2%). These results underline how thematic and niche TLDs can capture premium demand where the classic .com namespace is saturated.

The aftermarket itself remained stable in 2024, without extreme price spikes. Sedo recorded an average sale price of around $2,345 across some 350 traded TLDs, with a median of $549 – consistent with a mature, but still attractive, investment environment. Unsurprisingly, .com dominated transactions (59%), followed by .de (13%), with .org and .net each at 4%. Keyword trends from Sedo and the survey line up neatly: AI and technology, crypto, and finance, as well as gambling and online services, are expected to remain the strongest demand drivers, with around 70% of respondents prioritizing technology and innovation terms, 53% finance & crypto, and 40% e‑commerce and online services.

When we asked how optimistic participants felt about the future of domain investments in 2025, the picture was one of guarded confidence:

• 15% were very optimistic
• 24% optimistic
• 42% expected things to remain about the same
• 12% were pessimistic
• 7% very pessimistic

In other words: a clear positive tilt, but no exuberance. Given the macro environment – from economic uncertainty to geopolitical risks – this balanced sentiment is understandable. For European investors and brands, the takeaway is clear: high‑quality .de and European ccTLDs, strong tech‑related terms, and relevant niche gTLDs will remain key pillars of portfolio strategy.

Help shape the Global Domain Report 2026

Everything you’ve just read is rooted in last year’s survey responses and the market data that followed. Now it’s time to write the next chapter – with your input.

Before InterNetX and Sedo compile the Global Domain Report 2026, we once again invite those who live and breathe domains – investors, brokers, registries, registrars, brand owners and service providers – to share how they see the road ahead.

👉 Take the 2026 survey now.

Your data and your direct thoughts are what turn the Global Domain Report into a true compass for the industry. Preregister for the Global Domain Report 2026 to receive the full report automatically in your email inbox as soon as it is released.

📚 Citation:

Catania, S. (December 2025). Beyond Registration Numbers: Insights from the 2025 Domain Survey. dotmagazine. https://www.dotmagazine.online/issues/ai-automation/beyond-registration-numbers-insights-from-the-2025-domain-survey 

Simone Catania works at InterNetX, a brand of the IONOS Group, where he leads content across channels and runs the acclaimed Global Domain Report. He helps users understand the mechanisms behind DNS and domain names and serves as a EURALO (ICANN) Board Member (2025–2027).