CircleID

RFC 10023 adds a simple, machine-readable “for sale” signal to the DNS. You search for a domain name and discover that it is already registered. From the perspective of most domain search tools, that is usually the end of the story: unavailable. But that may not be true. The domain may be parked, unused, held by a domain investor—or its owner may simply be willing to sell it. So there are really two different questions: Is this domain name registered? And: Is this domain name available for purchase?

A domain name is often the most valuable digital asset a business owns. It is the storefront, the brand, and the address customers trust. Because that trust has commercial value, an entire economy has grown up around abusing it. This abuse rarely looks dramatic. It looks like a lookalike domain registered the week of a product launch. A name with one letter swapped that quietly sends traffic to a competitor’s ads or a counterfeit store.

Telegram has applied to ICANN for .gram: a namespace that, if approved, could give ordinary users addresses like yourname.gram — and would put a platform whose founder faces an open French indictment, a Russian terrorism charge, and a nationwide ban in Russia in charge of running and policing that zone. As mid-September arrives, ICANN is due to announce when the public will see whether the application is even on the list. On August 18, 2026, Pavel Durov posted 44 words to X.

Inter-satellite laser communications terminals can be integrated onto partner satellites, enabling them to connect with the Starshield network. (Image: SpaceX / Starshield) The Benton Institute recently wrote an article reminding me that Starlink operates a second satellite network, separate from the one that serves residential and business broadband customers. The company announced this network, which it dubs Starshield, at the end of 2022.

Quick heads up if you hold a .com.au or .net.au domain: there’s a change in the pipeline, and while nothing’s enforceable yet, it’s worth knowing about before it lands on your desk as a compliance notice. In August 2026, the auDA Board gave in-principle approval to a set of recommendations that would tighten who actually qualifies to register these names. Management has now been told to draft an Implementation Plan. How we got here Nothing about this came out of nowhere, for what it’s worth.

Anthropic says malicious actors are increasingly using AI not merely to assist cyberattacks, but to orchestrate substantial parts of them—including reconnaissance, exploitation, credential theft, data exfiltration and rebuilding malware when defenses detect it.

The author would like to thank the members of the Jake Community who helped in the creation of this article: Scott Bradner, Steve Crocker, Kenny Huang, Hsu-Ping, Suncica Rosic, Jo-Fan Yu. Project Jake in 100 Words Project Jake is a framework developed by The Edgemoor Research Institute to resolve tensions between privacy and security in domain registration data disclosure.

Report includes a mix of online and private sales. Some blocks may be part of a bundle with a negotiated price. Prices are reported as of date of agreement, not transfer. This market report draws on IPv4.Global’s August 2026 market data and analysis, examining recent pricing, transaction activity, supply conditions, and the outlook for IPv4. The IPv4 transfer market strengthened further in August, extending a recovery that has developed steadily since the spring.

An employee receives an AI-generated message from what appears to be a company CEO and winds up disclosing sensitive financial information. A customer clicks an AI-enhanced ad on a social media account that looks identical to a trusted brand—and decides to buy a new pair of underpriced shoes. Neither attack began on a suspicious website—yet both will likely end on one.

With ICANN’s latest application round now closed, hundreds of organizations around the world are shifting their attention from application strategy to operational reality. For many applicants, securing a TLD has been a long-term strategic objective. Whether the goal is to strengthen a brand, serve a community, create a geographic identity or build an entirely new digital ecosystem, obtaining a TLD represents a significant milestone. However, this is also where some of the hardest work begins.