Web hosting provider submits its first application to run a generic top-level domain through ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Program.
DreamHost has applied to operate .dream as a generic top-level domain (gTLD), marking the company’s first attempt to become a domain registry ahead of its 30th anniversary in 2027.
The web hosting and Managed WordPress provider submitted its application through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) 2026 New gTLD Program. The company applied exclusively for .dream, an extension that reflects its name and brand identity.
DreamHost has sold domain names for decades as a registrar, offering customers access to extensions managed by other registry operators. If approved, the application would allow the company to operate .dream directly and manage the infrastructure and policies associated with the new domain extension.
“We’ve had ‘dream’ in our name from the beginning, so when we decided to apply for a top-level domain, .dream was the obvious choice,” said Dallas Kashuba, DreamHost co-founder.
Kashuba added that the upcoming 30th anniversary made the timing particularly appropriate, noting his surprise that the .dream extension did not already exist.
According to ICANN, 1,616 applications are advancing in the 2026 New gTLD round. On October 7, Reveal Day, the organization is scheduled to publish the proposed top-level domains, applicant information, and publicly available portions of the applications.
DreamHost emphasized that its application has not yet been approved. Reveal Day marks the beginning of the public phase of the process, with further ICANN evaluations and reviews required before the company can operate the .dream registry.
The application represents a potential expansion of DreamHost’s role in the domain name industry, moving beyond its established registrar business toward operating its own branded top-level domain.
