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Is the .io Domain, Beloved by Crypto Companies, in Crisis? Expert: Notion and AI Websites Using .AI Might Have More to Worry About

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Is the .io Domain, Beloved by Crypto Companies, in Crisis? Expert: Notion and AI Websites Using .AI Might Have More to Worry About

In the past week, you may have seen reports about the possible disappearance of ".io" domain names, which has raised concerns in the cryptocurrency community as many well-known crypto companies use ".io" for their official websites. However, despite worries about the future of .io domains, domain news reporter Andrew Allemann believes that owners of .io domains have no need to be overly concerned.

What's Happening with ".io"?

Like other two-letter Top-Level Domains (TLDs), .io is a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) representing the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), a British Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean. However, due to increasing international pressure, the UK has agreed to transfer control of this territory to the Republic of Mauritius. This means that the British Indian Ocean Territory may no longer exist, which could potentially pose problems for those using the .io domain.

Relative location of the "British Indian Ocean Territory"

Cryptocurrency Companies Embracing ".io" Domain

In addition, many other cryptocurrency company websites also use ".io".

How Does This Affect the .io Domain?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) typically relies on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to determine which country codes should exist and what their two-letter codes should be. If IO is removed from the list of country codes by ISO, ICANN would initiate a process to eventually retire the domain.

Domain Name Wire reporter Andrew Allemann inquired with ICANN back in 2008 about what would happen to the .tv domain if Tuvalu were to disappear due to rising sea levels. At that time, .tv had become a popular domain choice for many video streaming websites. ICANN's response was that if a country ceases to exist, under current policy, the domain must be retired. ICANN would provide a reasonable transition period for affected users to move to other domains. A recent example is .YU for Serbia and Montenegro, which was later replaced by .RS and .ME, with ICANN's board granting a three-year transition period at the time.

Therefore, it is reasonable for concerns about the future of .io to arise. There have been instances in the past where country code top-level domains have been removed, though not all cases follow the same process.

ICANN's Practical Considerations - ".io" May Not Disappear

However, there is a practical aspect to this issue. ICANN's primary goal is to maintain the security and stability of the domain name system. Revoking a popular top-level domain used by many large and medium-sized enterprises would have what impact on the entire domain name system? This would go against ICANN's mission.

Possible Fate of ".io"

Domain Name Wire reporter Andrew Allemann believes that ICANN is unlikely to take immediate action to delete the .io domain but there are practical implications worth noting.

Currently, one of the main concerns is likely with Identity Digital, the operator of the .io domain, which acquired the rights to operate the .io domain after acquiring Afilias. The .io domain may be a significant asset from this acquisition.

There are several possible scenarios:

  1. Maintain the Status Quo: ICANN may allow Identity Digital to continue operating .io without "transferring" the domain to Mauritius.
  2. Hand Over to Mauritius: Another possibility is that the .io domain could be transferred to Mauritius, or Mauritius could negotiate with Identity Digital to claim a portion of the revenue. In the latter case, this could impact domain holders as registration and renewal fees may increase.

Greater Risks for Other Country Code Domains

Allemann believes that .io domain holders need not be overly concerned, but for users of other country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), understanding the underlying risks of the domains they use is crucial. ccTLDs are like the wild west of the internet, with minimal oversight from ICANN, allowing each country to set its policies.

For example, Notion initially used the ".so" domain, which is Somalia's country code, but Somalia is not the most stable country. Notion later acquired notion.com. Another example is bit.ly, which initially used the ".ly" domain, Libya's country code, also carrying risks.

It's not just instability in countries, the currently popular ".ai" domain (widely used by AI companies) also poses risks. ".ai" is the country code for Anguilla, an island with a population of only 15,000 people, yet over 500,000 ".ai" domains have been registered. Concerningly, essentially one person in Anguilla decides the domain's policies, and these policies have changed in the past. Additionally, there are many quirky rules with ".ai" domains, which could change at any moment.

Domain Registrants Should Understand the Risks

When choosing two-letter country code domains, domain holders should be aware of the potential risks involved. Many of these country code domains lack effective oversight, posing potential risks to users. However, the current concerns about the .io domain are somewhat overstated.