What exactly is ” .bitcoin“?

Today, for example, web addresses end in .de, .com, .org, or .berlin. The part to the right of the last dot is called the top-level domain (TLD).

ICANN—the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the organization responsible for the global Domain Name System—is allowing the creation of additional so-called generic top-level domains in its current application round. The application phase for the “New gTLD Program: 2026 Round” ran from April 30 to August 12, 2026. It is the first such application round in more than a decade.

One such new top-level domain could also be .bitcoin.

In the long term, this would mean, for example, that web addresses would follow the pattern

wallet.bitcoin
conference.bitcoin
company.bitcoin

possible.

Whether such domains can actually be registered—and under what conditions—depends, however, on whether an application is successful and on the registration rules established by the future registry operator.

A top-level domain is more than just an Internet address

The question of who operates a top-level domain is not entirely insignificant. Within the framework established by ICANN, the registry operator determines, among other things, who is permitted to register domains under that extension and what rules apply to their allocation.

ICANN itself therefore describes new gTLDs as digital namespaces that can be used, for example, by companies, cities, industries, or communities. Successful operators must meet extensive technical, organizational, and contractual requirements.

A name like “ .bitcoin ” also raises a fundamental question:

Should a term that represents a decentralized and open network—as an Internet namespace—be managed solely based on economic interests, or should the Bitcoin community play a decisive role in shaping it?

This is exactly where the current project comes in.

Community Application for .bitcoin

The application was submitted by Wiz & Associates S.A. de C.V. The project is structured as a so-called ” community application.”

Community applications constitute a special category in the ICANN process. If there are multiple applicants for the same or a very similar top-level domain, a community application may be given priority under certain conditions as part of a Community Priority Evaluation (CPE).

Among other things, the following will be examined:

• whether there is an actual, organized community,
• how closely the requested designation is associated with this community,
• what the registration rules are, and
• the extent to which the application is supported by relevant organizations within the community.

According to the current ICANN criteria, a total of 16 points can be earned; at least 12 points are required to successfully pass a Community Priority Evaluation. The “Community Endorsement” category alone can account for up to four points. Letters of support from relevant organizations may therefore be taken into account in the evaluation.

It is important to note, however, that a Community Priority Evaluation is only used when multiple applications are in conflict with one another and the community applicant chooses this process.

Who is behind the project?

Wiz has been active within the Bitcoin infrastructure for years. Among other things, he operates a Bitcoin DNS seed. Such DNS seeds help new Bitcoin nodes find other participants in the Bitcoin network and establish an initial connection to the peer-to-peer network. The seed operated by Wiz complies with the Bitcoin DNS Seed Operator Policy and provides information about reachable Bitcoin nodes.

In addition, Wiz is associated with the open-source project mempool.space, a widely used Bitcoin block explorer and tool for monitoring the mempool and the Bitcoin blockchain.

This ongoing work within the Bitcoin infrastructure was also a factor in the Bitcoin Federal Association’s decision to support the application.

Why does the Bitcoin Federal Association support this initiative?

The German Bitcoin Association has expressed its support for Wiz & Associates’ application in an official letter signed by the board of directors.

In it, the association emphasizes in particular that, in its view, .bitcoin is not merely just another commercial domain extension. Bitcoin is an open network and an international ecosystem of developers, companies, infrastructure operators, users, and numerous other stakeholders.

A namespace bearing the name “Bitcoin” directly should therefore, as far as possible, be operated in the best interests of this community.

In its letter, the association also refers to its own role as an advocate for Bitcoin companies and Bitcoin stakeholders in Germany and makes it clear that it is expressly offering its support on behalf of the German Bitcoin community.

What is particularly relevant to us in this context is that the proposed model does not view .bitcoin as an exclusive namespace for a single company. According to the information available to the Bitcoin Federal Association for the letter of support, no privileged registrations are planned for the applicant. Rather, the registration guidelines are to be developed with the participation of various segments of the Bitcoin community.

Bitcoin belongs to no one—and that is exactly why this question is important

Support for the .bitcoin top-level domain should not be confused with the idea that anyone could thereby control Bitcoin itself.

The Bitcoin network does not require a domain name or a central domain name authority. Bitcoin operates independently of ICANN, DNS, or any specific website.

That is precisely why a clear distinction is important:

With .bitcoin This isn’t about control over Bitcoin. It’s about managing a name within the Internet’s traditional Domain Name System.

This namespace—assuming ICANN actually assigns .bitcoin —will inevitably have to be operated by a registry. The key question, therefore, is not whether .bitcoin should have an operator, but under what conditions such a domain will be operated and to what extent the interests of the Bitcoin community will be taken into account.

From the perspective of the Bitcoin Federal Association, a community-oriented approach is, in principle, a better solution than a purely commercial use of the term.

What happens next?

The application phase for the ICANN 2026 round ended on August 12, 2026. This marks the start of a comprehensive review and evaluation process. ICANN will not publish the public portions of the submitted applications until later in the so-called “Applicant Journey.” Only then will it become fully clear which other applications have been submitted for individual domain extensions and whether there are competing applications for .bitcoin.

The German Bitcoin Association will monitor the further course of the proceedings.

In our letter of support, we made one thing clear from the outset:

If the name “Bitcoin” becomes part of the global Domain Name System in the future, the Bitcoin community should have a strong say in how this namespace is structured.