Many top level domains applied for this year have a connection to web3: think .crypto and .nft.

But for many years, web3 companies have offered alt-root "domains" matching these top level domains on blockchain-based systems. What happens if one of those alt-root systems wants to integrate with the matching real top level domain? And how can TLDs add web3 functionality within ICANN's rules?

That's the question an ICANN technical study group sought to answer this year.

On today's show, one of the group's members discusses what the group determined. Don Ruiz is general manager of Orange Domains. Orange operates .locker, a domain from the 2012 expansion round, and offers web3 integrations.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out as some of these new domains hit the root.

Also: EasyGroup threat, new TLDs, Known, and a GoDaddy takeover?

Sponsor: Spaceship

AI changes everything, and that includes domain names and the web presence business.

As Wall Street tries to figure out the winners and losers, many incumbent large tech companies, including GoDaddy, have seen their share prices fall.

This week, I chat with Vinod Suresh, VP of Product Management at GoDaddy. Vinod explains how AI is impacting businesses through democratization, compression, and delegation.

Democratization means more people will become builders. Compression refers to how quickly things get done. As for delegation: bring on the agents.

Beyond creating AI products, GoDaddy uses AI internally. Democratization, compression, and delegation are on display at the company, too.

Vinod also opines on what AI means for the importance of domain names going forward.

Sponsor: Sav.com domain auctions

The board of auDA, the group that oversees the .au namespace, just voted to make a sweeping change to registration rules for .com.au domains. It could mean a million or more domains lose their eligibility in a namespace of 3.3 million.

On today's show, Erhan Karabardak, a former auDA board member and IP attorney, joins me. He was one of the seven people on the panel that came up with the recommended rule change, and one of three who voted against it.

Erhan explains what happened and what it means for domain registrants.

Also: Verisign pricing lawsuit, Aruba and ShortDot new TLD plans, IONOS layoffs, drop time changes

Sponsor: Namecheap