Few companies have announced their plans to apply for new domain extensions in the ICANN’s Next Round, planned for April 2026. There are two notable exceptions: Nova Registry and Unstoppable Domains.

Each plan to make a large investment in the program: Unstoppable has announced 10 applications and counting[1], notably including .blockchain, and Nova says it will apply for 200.[2] To put that in perspective, ICANN application fees alone for Nova would come to more than 45 million USD.

Apart from their transparency and size of investment, another element sets Nova and Unstoppable apart from the typical gTLD applicant. Both plan to offer customers a pair of matching domains: One traditional domain name and one blockchain domain.

Taking for example the existing Web2-Web3 bundled TLD .locker, if we registered iptwins.locker, we’d get one domain name one which we could set up a website viewable in Chrome, Edge or Safari (Web2), and another that could be used as an address to receive payments in crypto, or as a username on Blockchain apps (Web3). They’re separate and matching domains, usable on different networks.

This idea will have some natural appeal to people that are already trading in crypto and also have/want a personal website. Maybe some readers fit that category, but we know that it’s not our core audience. Let’s talk about how this will affect managers of corporate domain name portfolios that will be advising clients in anticipation of new extensions starting to roll out in 2027.

GlobalBlock Coverage

GlobalBlock is a service that prevents the registration of domain names matching a trademark string under all TLDs that participate in the service. Nova’s only current TLD .link does not participate[3], but many Web3 extensions operated by Unstoppable are covered.[4]

This is something to watch. If Web2-Web3 bundled TLDs are added to GlobalBlock, then there’d be no need for brands using GlobalBlock to prioritize defensive registrations under these TLDs out of concern of infringement arising on the Web3 version. In effect, the block would be a 2 for 1 deal here, blocking the Web2 and Web3 domains from registration.

No GlobalBlock? Give Some Priority to these TLDs.

If these bundled TLDs are not added to GlobalBlock, or if a given brand does not have GlobalBlock protection, then the portfolio manager will need to decide if they should recommend a defensive registration.

We’ve published a longer look at infringement scenarios with Web3 domains, but in short, the obvious ones are: (1) Scammers asking for money on behalf of a known company, by using a convincing wallet address, eg. famousbrand.eth or (2) impersonate the brand on NFT marketplaces using a brand-matching Web3 domain as a username to heighten credibility.

To be clear, currently these are not nearly as widespread nor damaging as Web2 infringement cases such as phishing websites/emails and fake webstores. However, with emerging technologies, scams are sure to evolve and new ones arise. Taking a Web2 and Web3 domain out of circulation with just one registration fee does present some amount of added value and is a point in favor of registering these extensions defensively.

Domain Monitoring Results

Web3 domain monitoring exists, but is a specialized service managed separately from the much more common Web2 domain name monitoring services. The Web2-Web3 domain bundles will benefit the latter, as these will begin detecting Web3 registrations by extension.

When the registration of a bundled domain name is detected by a Web2 monitoring service, the analysis of the result will need to go beyond MX records and website snapshots and expand to places where Web3 domains are used. NFT marketplaces, wallet addresses and Web3 browsers will become new forums for discovering domain abuse and by extension, new forums for enforcement activity.

Conclusion

Some established brands are starting to dabble in NFTs and cryptocurrency, but these new technologies tend not to be incorporated into the core business. As such, Web3 domains are a secondary concern in the company’s overall domain and enforcement strategies.

2027 is a bit too soon to predict a completely different landscape, where Web3 brand protection has become an absolute necessity. For this reason, it’s advisable to see the upcoming launch of Web2-Web3 bundled domains as additional reason to consider existing brand protection products and services that will be applicable to Web3 domains.

If your company or a company you advise has been debating on whether to (A) register with GlobalBlock, (B) protect their brand with defensive new gTLD domain registrations, (C) subscribe to domain monitoring services, or (D) hire a firm to handle takedowns across different forums, perhaps the upcoming Web2-Web3 domain bundles are sufficient to move those decisions towards a “Yes.”

Should there be any doubts about the benefits of said services, IP Twins would be happy to learn about the brand’s specific needs and advise accordingly.