When new gTLDs were being discussed there were some that viewed them as an opportunity for new business ideas, and new ways of doing business. One was Adrian Kinderis, then CEO of ARI Registry Services, now Neustar. In an interview with Domain Pulse back in 2012 Kinderis spoke of the benefits to brands that could include personalising services to customers, provide security for customers by saying this is our domain and allowing the business to focus their brand marketing on one TLD globally.

However there hasn’t been a lot of thought gone into the use of the new gTLDs, particularly by brands, as most have just been launched as an alternative to existing top level domains, with brands focussing on the security aspect for their customers.

One that has thought outside the square has been Minds + Machines’ .luxe. .luxe has been promoted by MMX as being “the first top-level domain specifically launched to bring a standardised naming convention to both the World Wide Web and the fast developing blockchain universe where no standardized naming protocols currently exist.”

It’s so unique that Paul Mockapetris, inventor of the Domain Name System, said in a .luxe update from MMX that .luxe is “the first genuine piece of DNS related innovation that I have seen in the last decade”.

“The prospect of integrating DNS with distributed ledger technology/ blockchain, for example what MMX is proposing in .luxe, is the first genuine piece of DNS related innovation that I have seen in the last decade that has the possibility to be truly transformative,” said Mockapetris in the update. “I very much look forward to monitoring its progress and potentially collaborating in innovation-based projects with the Company.”

Formally launched 6 November 2018, MMX says the key aspects to the ongoing development of the project are:

1. ensuring distribution of .luxe through the traditional registrar channel;
2. broadening distribution through newly emerging blockchain channels; and
3. extending the number of blockchains integrated into .luxe beyond Ethereum, its cornerstone blockchain partner at launch.

Today there are 2,700 .luxe domain names in their zone file according to nTLDstats.

“In relation to building distribution through the traditional registrar channel, .luxe is now supported by 71 registrars globally, 11 of which have already agreed to implement the API, developed exclusively for MMX, that allows .luxe names to be easily, and securely, associated to items on the Ethereum blockchain by registrar customers.”

“In relation to broadening the distribution of .luxe names into blockchain channels, the Company is pleased to report that eight new blockchain industry distribution partners, in addition to IMToken, have now joined the .luxe initiative in Asia. This follows the recent completion of a stand-alone app that allows the provisioning of .luxe names to occur within the workflows of potential distribution partners. As a result, users of a specific blockchain product or service can now purchase their .luxe name and pair it to that product or service at the point of use without having to make a separate journey to a registrar to buy their .luxe name and complete the association of the name with the underlying product or service.

“New distribution partners to join the .luxe initiative in the Asia region through MMX’s commercial partner, Bitxbank, include China’s largest blockchain media group, BeeNews, BEPAL, Hillstone Partners, Math Wallet, MTC Mesh Network, Qufen, Fbee, and ChainDD (further information on each can be found below).

“Lastly, in relation to extending the number of blockchains supporting the .luxe naming convention, the Directors are pleased to report the Company is now in discussions with two further public blockchains. The Directors expect the integration of the next two blockchains into the .luxe family of supported zones to begin in H1 2019 at which point further details will be announced.”