---
title: "ICANN's Reveal Day Unveils 1,615 New gTLD Bids While .SI Speculation Surges"
canonical_url: "https://unique.domains/news/weekly/2026-10-12"
human_page: "https://unique.domains/news/weekly/2026-10-12"
markdown_url: "https://unique.domains/news/weekly/2026-10-12.md"
edition_kind: "weekly (archived)"
edition_date: "2026-10-12"
published_at: "2026-10-12"
updated_at: "2026-10-12"
revision: 1
source_count: 27
categories: "Domain sales, valuation and market data, Auctions, expirations and acquisition tactics, TLDs, registries and registration trends"
---

# ICANN's Reveal Day Unveils 1,615 New gTLD Bids While \.SI Speculation Surges

Weekly edition (archived), 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-11, published by Unique Domains on 2026-10-12.

## Summary

This edition covers ICANN's new gTLD Reveal Day disclosures, a speculative \.SI rush onto Namecheap, the \.us registry handover to Identity Digital, and the week's auction and sales data\. [[23]](#source-23) [[4]](#source-4) [[25]](#source-25)

## Key takeaways

- ICANN's Reveal Day disclosed 1,615 new gTLD applications, including a personal string filed by Taylor Swift\. [[23]](#source-23) [[9]](#source-9)
- Identity Digital will replace [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy) Registry as \.us ccTLD operator under new NTIA-awarded contract terms\. [[25]](#source-25)
- [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com) registration prices are set to rise on November 1\. [[10]](#source-10)
- [Namecheap](https://unique.domains/registrars/namecheap) began selling \.SI domains as speculative 'Superintelligence' branding interest intensified\. [[4]](#source-4)
- fTLD's Craig Schwartz will retire after 16 years running the \.bank and \.insurance registry\. [[13]](#source-13)
- MYNIC's \.my registrations fell 16% following a junk drop after a prior registration promotion\. [[16]](#source-16)

## This week in domains

This week paired a slow-moving structural event -- ICANN's disclosure of 1,615 new gTLD applications -- with a fast-moving speculative rush into \.SI domains, testing how differently investors treat policy-driven and branding-driven demand\. [[23]](#source-23) [[14]](#source-14)

### ICANN New gTLD Reveal Day Reshapes the Landscape

ICANN's long-awaited new gTLD Reveal Day arrived Wednesday, October 7, lower-key than the 2012 London launch but no less consequential for registry operators and portfolio holders tracking future contention\. ICANN disclosed that 1,615 applications were submitted across the current round, publishing the full list of strings and applicants alongside details on replacement strings and contention sets\. Reveal Day also confirmed Taylor Swift applied for a personal top-level domain, underscoring how the round mixes celebrity and corporate branding alongside traditional registry plays\. The Internet Commerce Association hosted a free webinar the next day so brokers and registries could parse implications before markets reacted\. Separately, an analysis of the 345 dot-brand applications in this round shows large corporations continuing to lock down proprietary extensions rather than relying solely on [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com), a pattern that shapes how much contested namespace independent registries and investors can compete for\. For domain holders, the scale of this round -- more than four times the dot-brand count alone -- means years of subsequent delegation, objection and contention-resolution activity ahead, a slower-moving but structurally important counterpart to the week's faster aftermarket churn\. [[7]](#source-7) [[19]](#source-19) [[23]](#source-23) [[6]](#source-6) [[9]](#source-9)

### \.SI Mania Meets Practical Risks

\.SI, Slovenia's ccTLD, spent the week riding a wave of speculative interest after a US executive order encouraged using 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' in place of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI\.' [Namecheap](https://unique.domains/registrars/namecheap) founder Richard Kirkendall confirmed \.SI registrations are now available on the registrar, giving mainstream buyers direct access to a string previously traded mostly through specialist channels\. Commentary framed the rush as echoing the earlier [\.AI](https://unique.domains/tld/ai) boom, cautioning that branding-driven demand for a ccTLD carries different renewal and policy risk than a gTLD\. Domain Shane's auction notes described a 'speculative trading frenzy' around \.si names compounded by registrar technical issues, while a separate warning flagged a privacy issue affecting buyers and sellers completing \.si transfers -- a reminder that newly popular ccTLDs can expose process gaps that mature gTLD marketplaces have already solved\. [[4]](#source-4) [[14]](#source-14) [[3]](#source-3) [[20]](#source-20)

### Registry Transitions: \.us Moves, \.bank Searches, \.my Shrinks

Three registry-operator stories moved in parallel this week\. Identity Digital will take over operation of the \.us ccTLD from [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy) Registry after the NTIA awarded the contract following a lengthy bidding process; new contractual terms may put some existing registrants and registrars at risk during the handover, a transition worth monitoring for anyone holding \.us inventory\. Separately, fTLD Registry Services, which runs the restricted \.bank and \.insurance gTLDs, confirmed it is searching for a new president and CEO after Craig Schwartz announced his retirement following 16 years leading the company\. And MYNIC reported \.my registrations fell to 693,122 at the end of September from 826,384 in August, a drop of roughly 133,262 domains attributed to a junk drop following an earlier promotion -- a reminder that promotional registration spikes often unwind sharply once discount periods lapse\. [[25]](#source-25) [[13]](#source-13) [[16]](#source-16)

### \.com Economics: Price Hike Looms, Cloudflare Climbs

Two structural [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com) data points landed this week\. Domain Name Wire confirmed \.com registration prices are scheduled to rise on November 1, creating a near-term window for registrants weighing renewals or new registrations before the increase takes effect\. Separately, an updated \.com report found [Cloudflare](https://unique.domains/registrars/cloudflare) continuing to expand its share as a DNS and hosting provider among \.com domains, extending a multi-year trend of consolidation toward a small number of infrastructure providers even as the base of registered names itself shifts with pricing and policy changes\. [[10]](#source-10) [[5]](#source-5)

### Aftermarket Pulse: Auctions and Six-Figure Sales

Weekly auction and sales data showed a market still dominated by sub-five-figure trading punctuated by occasional large sales\. Mike Mann reported selling eight [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com) domains for a combined $237,216 in July, with prices ranging from $4,888 to $100,000 and an average of $29,652 per name\. An industry publication's latest Top 20 Sales Chart featured a seven-figure \.com sale -- one of the five largest publicly reported sales this year -- alongside roughly six six-figure sales, five of them [\.ai](https://unique.domains/tld/ai) domains, reinforcing \.ai's continued pull at the top of the market\. [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy)'s September expired-domain auctions tracked a monthly total of $3,434,054, while the week's own GoDaddy top-54 roundup was led by swype\.com at $19,250\. Daily [Dynadot](https://unique.domains/registrars/dynadot) and Catched recaps added names such as gyld\.com, emai\.com, diana\.org and matrixmedia\.com, plus smaller closes like mega\.me, gxld\.com, teinteresa\.es and alfa\.es, showing steady mid-tier liquidity beneath the headline sales\. [[26]](#source-26) [[2]](#source-2) [[1]](#source-1) [[8]](#source-8) [[15]](#source-15) [[17]](#source-17) [[18]](#source-18) [[22]](#source-22) [[24]](#source-24) [[27]](#source-27)

- swype\.com: $19,250
- emai\.com: $15,293\.50
- gyld\.com: $15,200
- teinteresa\.es: $11,299
- diana\.org: $5,449
- matrixmedia\.com: $1,775

Selected auction closes, Oct 6-11

## In short

- UDRP Procedure: A UDRP digest highlighted a case where a complainant asked permission before filing a supplemental reply, resulting in a Procedural Order capping the filing at 5,000 words\. [[21]](#source-21)
- DNW Podcast: Domain Name Wire's podcast episode 606, 'Democratization, compression, and delegation,' discussed current domain industry topics\. [[11]](#source-11)
- DomainSherpa Shorts: DomainSherpa published a short video titled 'Vice City' in its Sherpa Shorts series\. [[12]](#source-12)

## What to watch

- Nov 1: \.com price increase takes effect Registrants who have not renewed or registered before the deadline will face the new, higher [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com) price starting November 1\. [[10]](#source-10)
- fTLD names new leadership fTLD Registry Services' search for a successor to retiring CEO Craig Schwartz will determine who sets \.bank and \.insurance registry policy next\. [[13]](#source-13)
- \.us registrant risk during handover How Identity Digital structures new \.us contractual terms during the transition from [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy) Registry will determine whether existing registrants or registrars face disruption\. [[25]](#source-25)

## Dates and launches

- 12 October 2026 to 15 October 2026: Open Compute Project Global Summit (Hosting and cloud)
- 13 October 2026 to 14 October 2026: DCD Connect India 2026 (Hosting and cloud)
- 14 October 2026 to 15 October 2026: Baltic Domain Days 2026 (Domaining)
- 14 October 2026 to 15 October 2026: Baltic Domain Days 2026 - October 14-15 - Riga, Latvia (Event)
- 14 October 2026 to 15 October 2026: Domain Days Dubaï 2026 (Domaining)
- 14 October 2026 to 15 October 2026: Dubai Domain Days (Domaining)
- 17 October 2026 to 22 October 2026: ICANN 87 Bali (DNS and governance)
- 17 October 2026 to 22 October 2026: ICANN87 - Annual General Meeting \(28th\) - location TBD (DNS and governance)

See the full agenda: https://unique.domains/agenda

## Questions and answers

### What happened on ICANN's new gTLD Reveal Day in October 2026?

On October 7, 2026, ICANN disclosed that 1,615 applications had been submitted in the current new gTLD round, publishing the full list of applied-for strings, applicants, replacement strings and contention sets\. [[23]](#source-23) [[19]](#source-19)

### Who applied for new top-level domains in this round?

Applicants ranged from major brands filing among the 345 dot-brand applications to individuals; notably, Taylor Swift applied for her own personal top-level domain string\. [[6]](#source-6) [[9]](#source-9)

### Why is \.SI suddenly popular among domain investors?

A US executive order promoted using 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' instead of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI,' sparking speculative interest in Slovenia's \.SI ccTLD that commentators compared to the earlier [\.AI](https://unique.domains/tld/ai) boom; [Namecheap](https://unique.domains/registrars/namecheap) subsequently began selling \.SI domains\. [[14]](#source-14) [[4]](#source-4)

### What privacy risk should \.si buyers and sellers know about?

A reported privacy issue can expose personal information during \.si domain transactions, so parties buying or selling \.si names should check registrar disclosure practices before transferring\. [[20]](#source-20)

### What changes when Identity Digital takes over \.us from GoDaddy?

Identity Digital was awarded the NTIA contract to operate the \.us ccTLD in place of [GoDaddy](https://unique.domains/registrars/godaddy) Registry, and new contractual terms accompanying the transition may put some existing registrants and registrars at risk, making a review of \.us holdings worthwhile\. [[25]](#source-25)

### Why did \.my registrations drop 16% this period?

MYNIC reported \.my registrations fell to 693,122 at the end of September from 826,384 in August, a decline attributed to a junk drop following an earlier registration promotion whose discounted names were not renewed\. [[16]](#source-16)

### When do \.com prices increase and what should registrants do?

Domain Name Wire reported [\.com](https://unique.domains/tld/com) registration prices rise on November 1, 2026, giving registrants a limited window to renew or register names at the current price before the increase takes effect\. [[10]](#source-10)

## Sources and citations

<a id="source-1"></a>
1. [Shane’s List of Domains at Auction for Friday, October 9th, 2026](<https://dsad.com/shanes-list-of-domains-at-auction-for-friday-october-9th-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | ShaneCultra | 2026-10-09T04:39:00\.000Z

<a id="source-2"></a>
2. [Mike Mann sells 8 domains for $237,216 in July](<https://onlinedomain.com/2026/10/06/domain-name-news/mike-mann-sells-8-domains-for-237216-in-july>)
   OnlineDomain\.com | Konstantinos Zournas | 2026-10-06T16:38:33\.000Z

<a id="source-3"></a>
3. [Shane’s List of Domains at Auction for Wednesday, October 7th, 2026](<https://dsad.com/shanes-list-of-domains-at-auction-for-wednesday-october-7th-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | ShaneCultra | 2026-10-07T04:41:00\.000Z

<a id="source-4"></a>
4. [\.SI Domain Names Now on Namecheap](<https://domaininvesting.com/si-domain-names-now-on-namecheap>)
   DomainInvesting\.com | Elliot Silver | 2026-10-06T13:38:22\.000Z

<a id="source-5"></a>
5. [\.Com report: Cloudflare keeps climbing](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/08/com-report-cloudflare-keeps-climbing>)
   Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-10-08T13:05:16\.000Z

<a id="source-6"></a>
6. [Inside the 345 dot-brand top level domain applications](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/09/inside-the-345-dot-brand-top-level-domain-applications>)
   Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-10-09T13:45:47\.000Z

<a id="source-7"></a>
7. We Will Learn Who Applied for What on ICANN New gTLD Reveal Day Wednesday - Experts Will Provide In-Depth Next Day Analysis in Free ICA Webinar Thursday
   Industry publication | 2026-10-05T19:58:20\.000Z

<a id="source-8"></a>
8. [Trav’s List of Domains at Auction for Thursday, October 8, 2026](<https://dsad.com/travs-list-of-domains-at-auction-for-thursday-october-8-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-08T04:30:00\.000Z

<a id="source-9"></a>
9. [Taylor Swift applies for her own top level domain](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/08/taylor-swift-applies-for-her-own-top-level-domain>)
   Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-10-08T13:34:17\.000Z

<a id="source-10"></a>
10. [Time is running out: \.com prices go up on November 1](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/09/time-is-running-out-com-prices-go-up-on-november-1>)
   Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-10-09T15:08:11\.000Z

<a id="source-11"></a>
11. [Democratization, compression, and delegation – DNW Podcast \#606](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/05/democratization-compression-and-delegation-dnw-podcast-606>)
   Domain Name Wire | 2026-10-05T15:30:52\.000Z

<a id="source-12"></a>
12. [DomainSherpa – Sherpa Shorts – October 10, 2026: Vice City](<https://domainsherpa.com/dss10102026>)
   DomainSherpa | DomainSherpa | 2026-10-10T23:30:57\.000Z

<a id="source-13"></a>
13. [\.bank registry looking for new boss](<https://domainincite.com/31948-bank-registry-looking-for-new-boss>)
   DomainIncite | Kevin Murphy | 2026-10-05T14:22:27\.000Z

<a id="source-14"></a>
14. [\.AI? \.SI? More Like \.Distraction](<https://domaininvesting.com/ai-si-more-like-distraction>)
   DomainInvesting\.com | Elliot Silver | 2026-10-05T15:43:18\.000Z

<a id="source-15"></a>
15. [AUCTION RECAP OF OCTOBER 9, 2026](<https://dsad.com/auction-recap-of-october-9-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-10T17:00:12\.000Z

<a id="source-16"></a>
16. [Junk drop hits \.my domains hard](<https://domainincite.com/31936-junk-drop-hits-my-domains-hard>)
   DomainIncite | Kevin Murphy | 2026-10-05T11:02:56\.000Z

<a id="source-17"></a>
17. [AUCTION RECAP OF OCTOBER 6, 2026](<https://dsad.com/auction-recap-of-october-6-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-07T17:22:16\.000Z

<a id="source-18"></a>
18. [Trav’s List of Domains at Auction for Sunday, October 11, 2026](<https://dsad.com/travs-list-of-domains-at-auction-for-sunday-october-11-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-11T04:30:00\.000Z

<a id="source-19"></a>
19. [Tomorrow is lowkey Reveal Day](<https://domainincite.com/31938-reveal-day-is-tomorrow-but-low-key>)
   DomainIncite | Kevin Murphy | 2026-10-06T08:15:28\.000Z

<a id="source-20"></a>
20. [Beware of privacy issue when buying/selling a \.si domain name](<https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/09/beware-of-privacy-issue-when-buying-selling-a-si-domain-name>)
   Domain Name Wire | Andrew Allemann | 2026-10-09T12:25:32\.000Z

<a id="source-21"></a>
21. [Ask First, File Later: A Model Procedure for Supplemental Filings – vol\. 6\.40](<https://www.internetcommerce.org/udrp-case-summaries/ask-first-file-later-a-model-procedure-for-supplemental-filings-vol-6-40>)
   ICA UDRP Digest | Ankur Raheja | 2026-10-06T11:37:08\.000Z

<a id="source-22"></a>
22. [Shane’s List of Domains at Auction for Saturday, October 10th, 2026](<https://dsad.com/shanes-list-of-domains-at-auction-for-saturday-october-10th-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | ShaneCultra | 2026-10-10T04:39:00\.000Z

<a id="source-23"></a>
23. The Results Are in From ICANN's New gTLD Reveal Day - Here's Who Went Big and What They Went After
   Industry publication | 2026-10-08T20:56:50\.000Z

<a id="source-24"></a>
24. [AUCTION RECAP OF OCTOBER 8, 2026](<https://dsad.com/auction-recap-of-october-8-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-09T16:49:03\.000Z

<a id="source-25"></a>
25. [As GoDaddy loses \.us to Identity Digital, some domains may be at risk](<https://domainincite.com/31934-as-godaddy-loses-us-to-identity-digital-some-domains-may-be-at-risk>)
   DomainIncite | Kevin Murphy | 2026-10-05T10:03:02\.000Z

<a id="source-26"></a>
26. A 7-Figure Domain Sale and a Half Dozen That Rang the 6-Figure Bell \(Including Five From \.AI\) Lit Up Our Latest Sales Chart
   Industry publication | 2026-10-08T01:45:13\.000Z

<a id="source-27"></a>
27. [AUCTION RECAP OF OCTOBER 10, 2026](<https://dsad.com/auction-recap-of-october-10-2026>)
   Domain Shane / DSAD | Travis M\. | 2026-10-11T17:35:17\.000Z

## About this edition

Compiled from the 27 sources above. Report a correction to contact@unique.domains.

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