Originally delegated in March 2015 to IG Group Holdings, it was to be “an authoritative Internet space where information about contracts for difference trading (CFDs), services and resources of the IG Group Holdings plc (IG Group). .cfd will communicate some key information on CFD trading, how to securely trade in CFDs and offer internet users the possibility to trade. The .cfd gTLD will be closely controlled by IG Group.”

However it was never launched and now ShortDot is attempting to breathe life into the new generic top-level domain, adding it to its three existing new gTLDs: .icu, .cyou and .bond, which was acquired from the Australian Bond University.

ShortDot is positioning .cfd as a short, memorable, three-letter domain extension that is ideal for clothing brands, fashion houses, fashion designers, models and influencers, apparel manufacturers, footwear businesses, cosmetics companies, and online retailers with a flair for artistic expression and appreciation for stylish clothing and creative fashion design.

With .CFD, ShortDot is targeting anyone anywhere in the clothing, fashion and design business including “new-age apparel and clothing businesses, creative fashion designers, forward-thinking fashion vloggers and influencers, cutting-edge fashion brands, and progressive cosmetics and footwear companies looking to reshape the world of fashion and haute couture.”

ShortDot also believes it is a “suitable choice for online boutiques, virtual fashion shows, lifestyle and fashion e-commerce stores, fashion blogs and style guides.”

.CFD will be launching in its Sunrise Phase, for trademark holders, on March 10, 2021. Sunrise will end on April 12, 2021. .CFD will officially be available for all end users on April 13, 2021, and will be preceded with a seven-day Early Access Program (EAP) that will last till April 19, 2021 where domain names will be available for premium prices to anyone, but decreasing every day.

ShortDot was founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Lars Jensen, Kevin Kopas, Michael Riedl and Christian Tecar. ShortDot is now the fifth-largest new domain name registry in the world with its .icu accounting for almost 98% of its domain names, currently with over 3.5 million, according to nTLDstats. Its other new gTLDs, .cyou and .bond, have 73,700 and 2,400 domain names under management respectively.

“We are very excited about our positioning for .CFD. The clothing and fashion design market is a new territory for us and a very lucrative one at that. What’s great to see is all the interest we already have from the fashion community, clothing businesses, and influencers,” said Kevin Kopas, COO. “We expect .CFD to establish itself as the de facto domain extension for fashion brands, fabric manufacturers, fashion designers, lifestyle e-commerce stores, online boutiques, fashion blogs, and apparel businesses that are redefining the world of clothing and fashion design.”

If the success of ShortDot’s previous domain extensions, .icu, bond, and .cyou, are any indication, .CFD should do well. While .icu is the largest new domain extension on the planet, with over 3 million registrations in more than 125 countries, .bond is breaking barriers in the world of finance and banking, and .cyou has been one of the fastest-growing new domain extensions for the past three months.

“It’s rewarding to see the enthusiasm for .CFD among our registrar partners,” said Lars Jensen, CEO. “With .CFD, we want to give clothing and fashion brands a chance to register meaningful and brandable domain names. The growing competition in the world of online fashion and shopping is signalling the need for new domain choices, and .CFD aims to help clothing and fashion brands create memorable online identities that help to make a dent in the minds of those who come across their websites.”