The domain industry keeps evolving, and the first half of 2025 has offered some clear signals on where things are headed. While .com remains a giant in volume, we’re seeing steady growth in new gTLDs, strategic use of cityTLDs, and rising interest in premium, brandable domains.
Here’s what the latest numbers tell us.
Steady growth, shifting value
According to Verisign’s Domain Name Industry Brief, total domain registrations reached 368.4 million by the end of Q1 2025 – up 1.1% from the previous quarter. But that growth isn’t coming from the usual suspects.
- .com and .net saw only modest quarterly growth (+0.5%), and their combined base is actually down year-over-year.
- Country-code domains (ccTLDs) like .de, .uk, and .br continue to grow steadily (+2.4% YoY).
- The real standout? New gTLDs – up 13.5% YoY, despite having a much lower renewal rate (~34%) compared to legacy TLDs (~75%).
That gap in retention suggests that while adoption is increasing, many new gTLDs are still used for short-term projects or experiments. But there’s clear momentum building.
.xyz is currently the most popular new gTLD on the Internet in terms of numbers, followed closely by .info, .shop, .top, .online, .store, and .site.
Premium domains are getting more strategic
The Identity Digital Q1 report shows strong demand for short, brandable domains, especially one-word names that are easy to remember and work well across industries. Many of these are being registered on new gTLDs and repurposed ccTLDs, such as .ai, .io, and .world, not just .com.
Two other new gTLDs that are standing out include .global and .digital, showing growing numbers of high-value premium sales. Meanwhile, in terms of numbers, .agency is a new entrant in the top 10 of most registered Identity Digital TLDs.
Premium buyers are prioritizing broad utility in the domain names they choose, opting for concise, professional keywords paired with generic gTLDs like .pro and .info.
Registries are responding by expanding their premium portfolios. Identity Digital alone added more than 20,000 new premium domains to their catalog this quarter.
CityTLDs are finding their place
DOTZON’s annual Digital City Brands study ranked .berlin, .tokyo, and .hamburg as the top-performing cityTLDs in 2025. While the total volume is much smaller than global TLDs, their use cases are focused and impactful: event marketing, tourism, environmental campaigns, and local government services.
European cities are leading the way, using domains like umweltkalender.berlin and green-connect.hamburg to boost visibility and trust. These domains are memorable, relevant, and hyperlocal, which makes them more effective than generic URLs. The next round of new gTLD applications, which is opening in 2026, is expected to lead to a new influx of cityTLDs and other geoTLDs.
What this means for resellers
2025 is shaping up to be a year of diversification when it comes to domains. Businesses are still buying .com, but they’re also exploring new territory:
- More and more businesses are opting for affordable, brandable domains like .shop, .store or .online over .com or .net.
- The growth of .ai and .io shows no signs of slowing down. .global, .digital, and .agency are joining them as new, fresh options on the market.
- Local businesses and organizations are embracing cityTLDs to boost trust and SEO in their communities.
- Premium domains are no longer just for domain investors. They’re now part of strategic brand-building, across more TLDs than ever before.
Conclusion
The domain landscape is broadening. While the overall market remains healthy, the real action is happening outside the traditional core. As a reseller, this opens new opportunities to serve your customers with TLDs that fit their sector, region, and strategy.
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