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The guardian of .COM and .NET just posted stellar first-quarter numbers. But domain holders might want to sit down before reading the fine print.
Best Quarter in Five Years
VeriSign, the administrator of the world’s two most popular domain zones, reported financial results for Q1 2026. The company logged 11.5 million new registrations across .COM and .NET – the highest since the first half of 2021. Someone clearly forgot to tell the internet that domains were supposed to be a mature market.
Including expired domains that got the boot, net growth hit 2.54 million. The total domain count now stands at 176.1 million. All the muscle came from .COM, which grew from 161 million to 163.6 million. .NET basically watched from the sidelines.
Cash Register Keeps Ringing
Revenue reached $429 million, a 6.6% jump from the same period last year. Operating profit landed at $294 million (up 8.5%), while net profit hit $215 million (also up 8%). VeriSign’s printers are working overtime, and nobody seems to have called maintenance.
The strong start gave management a confidence boost. The company previously predicted domain growth of 1.5–3.5%. Now the forecast has been upgraded to a cheerier 3.1–4.3%. VeriSign clearly likes what it sees in the crystal ball.
Loyalty stats also came to light: about 45% of first-year registrations get renewed. But those who stick around for year two renew at an 85% clip. In other words, the first breakup is hard – after that, it’s practically a marriage.
The Fine Print Hurts the Most
And here comes the part that will make .COM owners reach for antacids. On November 1, 2026, VeriSign will raise registry prices for registration and renewal by 7%. The move is perfectly legal under the company’s contract with NTIA and ICANN. So mark your calendars – autumn just got more expensive for no good reason except a signed piece of paper.