History of the TLD

The .gold top-level domain (TLD) is a generic TLD created under ICANN’s New gTLD Program and was delegated into the Internet root zone in March 2015. It became generally available for public registration in mid-2015. The extension was applied for by Donuts via June Edge LLC and is managed under Identity Digital with Binky Moon LLC as the sponsoring organization. This TLD has remained active since its delegation and supports registrations worldwide.

Main Use and Industry Position

The .gold TLD is designed for businesses, organizations, and individuals involved with gold and related activities. This includes jewelry retailers, precious metals dealers, gold investment firms, collectors, and financial advisory services focused on gold. It is also used by brands wishing to evoke luxury, value, prestige, or high quality in their web presence. The TLD has a commercial orientation but is open to general public registration.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Unlike legacy TLDs such as .com or .net that serve broad general-purpose registration, .gold targets a niche industry and brand identity around precious metals and luxury. Compared to other industry-specific gTLDs such as .jewelry or .investments, .gold provides a concise, memorable namespace tied directly to gold-associated commerce and content. It differs from restricted TLDs like .bank or .insurance which require eligibility criteria, as .gold generally has no such restrictions.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Strong thematic branding association for gold, luxury, and related industries

• Open registration with no specific eligibility restrictions

• Recognizable and meaningful extension for target audiences

Cons

• Pricing can be higher than general-purpose TLDs depending on registrar

• May carry less inherent trust for general audiences compared to legacy TLDs

• Niche use case may limit broad appeal

Registration Criteria

The .gold TLD is open for registration on a first-come, first-served basis without special eligibility requirements or documentation. Standard character rules apply (letters, numbers, hyphens with usual domain naming restrictions).

Summary

.gold is an active generic top-level domain introduced in 2015 through ICANN’s New gTLD Program and managed by Identity Digital via Binky Moon LLC. It serves industries associated with gold and luxury branding but is open for general public registration. The extension supports standard security features and domain services and is used globally in commerce and branding related to precious metals.