---
title: "New gTLD Applicants Press ICANN for Timeline as .crew Application Surfaces and .web Saga Resolves as .epic"
canonical_url: "https://unique.domains/news/2026-09-22"
human_page: "https://unique.domains/news/2026-09-22"
markdown_url: "https://unique.domains/news/2026-09-22.md"
edition_kind: "daily (archived)"
edition_date: "2026-09-22"
published_at: "2026-09-22"
updated_at: "2026-09-22"
revision: 1
source_count: 5
categories: "Domain sales, valuation and market data, ICANN, regulation and internet governance, TLDs, registries and registration trends"
---
# New gTLD Applicants Press ICANN for Timeline as \.crew Application Surfaces and \.web Saga Resolves as \.epic
Edition 2026-09-22, a daily edition kept in the archive. Published by Unique Domains on 2026-09-22.
## Summary
This edition covers a German registrar's \.crew gTLD filing, applicant frustration over ICANN's missing next-round timeline, the \.web dispute's \.epic resolution, and September 20-21 auction results\. [[2]](#source-2) [[4]](#source-4) [[3]](#source-3) [[5]](#source-5) [[1]](#source-1)
## Key takeaways
- A German registrar has applied for the new top-level domain \.crew ahead of ICANN's next round\. [[2]](#source-2)
- New gTLD applicants say they are growing impatient waiting for ICANN's next-round timeline\. [[4]](#source-4)
- DNW Podcast \#604 traces the long-running \.web dispute to its resolution, referenced as \.epic\. [[3]](#source-3)
- Couture\.io led September 20's auction recap at $775 across [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Catched and [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy)\. [[5]](#source-5)
- Domain Shane's September 21 list flagged QHOI\.com, SuperShow\.com and Rally\.io as auction picks\. [[1]](#source-1)
## Today in domains
Behind a fresh \.crew gTLD application and routine aftermarket sales sits a shared frustration: the industry keeps moving while ICANN's next-round timeline stays unset\. [[2]](#source-2) [[4]](#source-4)
### New gTLD Round: Applications Arrive, Timeline Still Missing
A German domain registrar has applied for the new top-level domain \.crew, adding another entrant to the queue of parties positioning ahead of ICANN's next application round, according to Domain Name Wire\. The filing is the latest addition to a growing pool of applied-for strings, though ICANN has yet to confirm evaluation criteria or contention-resolution mechanisms for the coming cycle\. That silence is fueling visible frustration: prospective new gTLD applicants told Domain Name Wire they are growing impatient waiting for ICANN to release a formal schedule, one that will determine when filing windows open and how operators plan capital and staffing well before any string is delegated\. The wait echoes the drawn-out \.web dispute, revisited on Domain Name Wire's podcast episode 604, which traced the years-long fight over that string to its eventual resolution, referenced on the show as "\.epic\." The \.epic outcome followed years of litigation and multiple failed settlement attempts before landing on a compromise, illustrating how contention sets can outlast initial application windows by half a decade or more\. That precedent is now cited by applicants pressing ICANN for earlier clarity, arguing that disclosing next-round rules sooner could prevent a repeat of \.web-style gridlock for strings like \.crew\. [[2]](#source-2) [[4]](#source-4) [[3]](#source-3)
### September 20 Auction Recap
Saturday's closes tracked by Domain Shane showed steady four-figure-adjacent activity across [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Catched and [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy)\. Couture\.io topped the recap, while truthspeak\.com and advertlab\.com also changed hands, giving brokers fresh comparables for short, brandable \.com and \.io strings heading into the new week\. [[5]](#source-5)
- couture\.io: $775
- truthspeak\.com: $530
- advertlab\.com: $401
Closing prices from the September 20 auction recap
### Monday's Auction Board
Domain Shane's September 21 auction list flagged bid activity across six marketplaces, [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Namejet, Catched, [Sedo](https://unique.domains/registrars/sedo), NamePros and [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy), with QHOI\.com, SuperShow\.com and Rally\.io singled out as picks worth tracking as bidding continues through the week\. [[1]](#source-1)
## What to watch
- ICANN Next-Round Timeline New gTLD applicants continue pressing ICANN for a concrete schedule of the next application round, a decision that shapes filing costs and competitive positioning for years\. [[4]](#source-4)
- \.crew Application Progress Watch for further evaluation steps on the newly filed \.crew string as ICANN processes it alongside other applied-for gTLDs awaiting the next round\. [[2]](#source-2)
- Sept 21-22: Auction Closings Bidding on names highlighted in Shane's September 21 list, including QHOI\.com, SuperShow\.com and Rally\.io, will close in coming days across [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Namejet and other platforms, offering fresh pricing data\. [[1]](#source-1)
## Questions and answers
### What is \.crew and who applied for it?
A German domain registrar has applied for \.crew as a new top-level domain, according to Domain Name Wire, adding it to the pool of strings positioned ahead of ICANN's next application round\. [[2]](#source-2)
### Why are new gTLD applicants frustrated right now?
Applicants say they are growing impatient because ICANN has not yet released a formal timeline for the next round of gTLD applications, leaving them unable to plan filing budgets or staffing\. [[4]](#source-4)
### What is \.epic and how does it relate to the \.web dispute?
Domain Name Wire's podcast episode 604 discusses the long-running \.web new gTLD dispute and its resolution, which the show refers to as "\.epic," after years of contention over that string\. [[3]](#source-3)
### What domains sold in the September 20 auction recap?
Domain Shane's recap for September 20 lists couture\.io selling for $775, truthspeak\.com for $530, and advertlab\.com for $401, closed across [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Catched, and [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy)\. [[5]](#source-5)
### Which domains are featured in the September 21 auction list?
Domain Shane's September 21 list highlights QHOI\.com, SuperShow\.com, and Rally\.io among its picks, with bid activity tracked across six platforms\. [[1]](#source-1)
### Which marketplaces does Domain Shane's daily auction list track?
The list covers [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot), Namejet, Catched, [Sedo](https://unique.domains/registrars/sedo), NamePros, and [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy), compiling picks and bid activity from each for a single daily roundup\. [[1]](#source-1)
### Does the \.epic resolution have any bearing on the next gTLD round's timing?
The supplied reporting does not state a direct effect, but the years-long path from \.web to \.epic is being cited by applicants as evidence that ICANN should set clear next-round rules early to avoid similarly prolonged contention\. [[3]](#source-3) [[4]](#source-4)
## Sources and citations
1. [Shane’s List of Domains at Auction for Monday, September 21st, 2026]()
Domain Shane / DSAD | ShaneCultra | 2026-09-21T04:32:00\.000Z
2. [German domain registrar applies for \.crew top level domain]()
Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-09-21T12:28:07\.000Z
3. [It’s a long story: from \.web to \.epic – DNW Podcast \#604]()
Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-09-21T15:30:43\.000Z
4. [New TLD applicants impatiently wait for timeline]()
Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-09-21T18:49:12\.000Z
5. [AUCTION RECAP OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2026]()
Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-09-21T16:44:07\.000Z
## About this edition
Compiled from the 5 sources above. Report a correction to contact@unique.domains.
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