Cardano Foundation takes .ada into the next stage of ICANN's New gTLD Program
A bid to unlock possibilities for Cardano and bridge the Web2 to Web3 divide
Today at TOKEN2049, the Cardano Foundation announced that its .ada application is advancing to the next phase of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) New Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program. ICANN confirmed the milestone on Reveal Day, 7 October, by publishing the list of submissions moving forward.
For the first time since 2012, this year ICANN opened applications for new top-level domain extensions—such as .org or .xyz. The Cardano Foundation’s application initiative follows a Governance Action that passed with approximately 75% support from the Cardano community, with the Foundation pursuing .ada for the ecosystem’s benefit.
Unlocking new possibilities
If approved, the .ada gTLD will unlock several opportunities for the Cardano ecosystem:
- Ensuring a competitive digital presence for Cardano: By securing .ada, we can increase visibility and strengthen our presence in the digital space while boosting trust and credibility for projects built on Cardano. This follows industry practice as other Layer 1 blockchains proceed with their own applications.
- Enabling innovations for Cardano: Being able to use .ada will allow Cardano ecosystem builders and users to leverage the network for innovations and bridge the Web2 to Web3 divide. Examples could include:
- simplified wallet addresses;
- integration with decentralized identity solutions like Veridian; and
- domain tokenization.
This ICANN application round has drawn several high-profile Web3 applications, including .sol, .ethereum, .btc, and .bitcoin. Beyond the Web3 space, major global brands such as OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic have also applied for top-level domains of their own.
If approved, the .ada top-level domain will provide unique opportunities to connect Cardano directly to the traditional internet and simplify Web3 tools.
The path to delegation
Following Reveal Day on 7 October, ICANN will move forward with evaluation of .ada's technical compliance alongside the Foundation's financial and operational readiness to operate the top-level domain. Delegations of top-level domains in this application round are expected to take place between 2028 and 2030, depending on the individual progress of applications through ICANN’s approval process.
Community members, developers, and enterprises can submit their details through this form to receive progress updates on the application or register early interest in acquiring a .ada domain.