Group must act quickly to reach conclusions before the new gTLD application window closes.
ICANN has announced the seven members of a Technical Study Group that will examine how blockchain-based naming systems interact with the Domain Name System (DNS). The appointed members are:
- Sebastien Ducos, Unstoppable Domains
- Nick Johnson, ENS Domains
- Brian Lonergan, Identity Digital
- Georgia Osborn, Security and Stability Advisory Committee
- Don Ruiz, Orange Domains LLC
- Swapneel Sheth, Verisign
- Suzanne Woolf, Public Interest Registry
The committee’s formal name is the Technical Study Group on New gTLD Integrations with Alternative Naming Systems.
Several members represent organizations that have already deployed alternative naming systems tied to blockchains. Unstoppable Domains and ENS Domains operate top-level domains rooted in blockchain technology; ENS runs the Ethereum Name Service. Orange Domains manages the .locker TLD — an ICANN-approved top-level domain that also offers integration with the Bitcoin Name Service.
The study group’s task is to assess the potential technical, operational and security risks of integrating these alternative naming systems with the global DNS, and to recommend what forms of integration, if any, should be permitted. Their findings will be important because many pending new gTLD applications could hinge on the policy and technical guidance the group produces.
Time is limited: the application window for new top-level domains closes on August 12, so the group must move swiftly to provide clarity for applicants and stakeholders before decisions are finalized.