History of the TLD

 .capital is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) created as part of ICANN’s New gTLD Program. The application was submitted by Donuts (Delta Mill, LLC) and the TLD was delegated to the DNS Root Zone in 2014. It was designed to serve individuals and organisations in finance, investment, and capital-related industries.

Main Use and Industry Position

 .capital is positioned as a finance-themed domain extension. It is ideal for financial institutions, investment firms, venture capital companies, fintech businesses, asset management companies, and financial advisors. It provides clear industry-focused branding and a professional online identity.

Comparison to Other TLDs

 Compared with general TLDs like .com or .net, .capital offers industry-specific branding for finance and investment sectors. It is unrestricted, unlike some specialized TLDs that require eligibility verification. It is more targeted than country-code TLDs and provides a niche advantage for businesses in the capital industry.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Strong relevance for finance and investment sectors
  

• Open registration with no eligibility restrictions
  

• Supports clear, industry-specific branding
  

Cons

• Lower public recognition compared with legacy TLDs like .com
  

• Registration and renewal may be higher than general-purpose TLDs
  

• Less suitable for businesses outside finance or investment
  
  

Registration Criteria

 Registration is open to individuals and organisations worldwide. Domain names must comply with standard DNS naming rules, including allowed characters, length, and hyphen placement.

Summary

 .capital is an active, unrestricted gTLD launched in 2014 for finance, investment, and capital-related entities. It provides strong branding opportunities for niche industries and is widely available for registration. Its adoption outside the financial sector is limited compared to legacy TLDs.