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    • .monster

    Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC

    Overview

    • .monster is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) that was originally created as a brand-specific TLD for Monster.com and later repurposed as a general-purpose TLD operated by XYZ.com.
    • Positioned as a quirky or creative option (described by XYZ's CEO as for users wanting to demonstrate being 'a beast at what they do'), it is marketed for playful or distinctive branding.

    History

    • The string was applied for during ICANN's new gTLD application round that opened in 2012. Both Monster Cable and Monster.com applied for .monster.
    • In late 2014 Monster Cable withdrew its application, leaving Monster.com to acquire and operate .monster as a restricted, brand-controlled gTLD.
    • Monster.com's usage of the TLD was limited and the company retired the TLD in 2018.
    • XYZ.com acquired .monster (intent to run it as a general-purpose gTLD) and launched a trademark sunrise period on 18 February 2019. General registration opened on 1 April 2019.
    • Registry listed as XYZ.com. Reported registration counts in the provided sources include 99,096 (as of 2023) and 85,593 (data point dated 17 March 2024).

    Usage and Audience

    • Target/audience messaging: marketed as a creative or 'wacky' gTLD for people or brands wanting a bold, distinctive domain.
    • Commentators described the intended use case as unclear and compared it to other quirky gTLDs such as .guru and .ninja.
    • Notable use patterns and concerns:
      • The TLD has been associated with spam and phishing activity in industry research.
      • Cybersecurity analyses listed .monster among higher-threat TLDs for phishing; Netcraft reported a comparatively high ratio of cybercrime incidents to active sites (around 1.2% in one report).
      • Some email providers and operators block or filter emails from .monster domains owing to observed abuse; an email host owner reported that traffic received from .monster was largely spam.
    • Registrars with significant market share for .monster include NameCheap and Name.com (reported shares of ~34.7% and ~30.7%, respectively), with other sellers such as NameSilo, GoDaddy, and Porkbun also present.

    Registration Rules

    • Initial model (under Monster.com): intended as a restricted, brand-controlled gTLD where only the company and authorized partners could register; policy allowed suspension for registrations deemed harmful to the brand.
    • After repurposing by XYZ.com:
      • A trademark sunrise period opened on 18 February 2019 to allow pre-existing trademark holders to register prior to general availability (the sunrise was 30 days long).
      • General availability for public registration began on 1 April 2019.
      • During the sunrise period 84 .monster domains were registered (examples below).

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • Perception:
      • Market commentary frames .monster as a niche, quirky choice rather than a mainstream, trust-establishing TLD.
      • Associations with spam and phishing have negatively affected reputation and email deliverability for some operators.
    • Practical impact:
      • Domains in TLDs linked to higher abuse rates can face deliverability challenges, increased filtering, and potential trust issues with users.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • Early sunrise registrations included cookie.monster, pocket.monster, and lochness.monster.
    • Ownership timeline notable points:
      • Contest between Monster Cable and Monster.com during the 2012 application period; Monster Cable withdrew before an expected auction and Monster.com secured the string.
      • Monster.com retired the TLD in 2018; XYZ.com acquired it and launched it for general registration in 2019.
    • .monster was one of the early examples of a former dot-brand repurposed as a general gTLD (another example cited was the sale of .observer).

    Operator

    XYZ.COM LLC

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       MONSTER

organisation: XYZ.COM LLC
address:      4425 Spring Mountain Rd., Suite 2
address:      Las Vegas NV 89102
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         General Counsel
organisation: XYZ.COM LLC
address:      4425 Spring Mountain Rd., Suite 2
address:      Las Vegas NV 89102
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +17027576555
e-mail:       hello@xyz.com

contact:      technical
name:         CTO
organisation: CentralNic
address:      Saddlers House, 4th Floor
address:      44 Gutter Lane
address:      London EC2V 6BR
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone:        +44 20 33 88 0600
fax-no:       +44 20 33 88 0601
e-mail:       tld.ops@centralnic.com

nserver:      A.NIC.MONSTER 194.169.218.83 2001:67c:13cc:0:0:0:1:83
nserver:      B.NIC.MONSTER 185.24.64.83 2a04:2b00:13cc:0:0:0:1:83
nserver:      C.NIC.MONSTER 212.18.248.83 2a04:2b00:13ee:0:0:0:0:83
nserver:      D.NIC.MONSTER 212.18.249.83 2a04:2b00:13ff:0:0:0:0:83
ds-rdata:     27704 13 2 512d954e99f6d9f1e5a007a5a005b6b542284af872ea2dc3f1f79ad013cdff50

whois:        whois.nic.monster

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://nic.monster/

created:      2015-12-23
changed:      2025-08-12
source:       IANA

    Registrars