.hack

The mission of .HACK is to provide a namespace associated with the applied-for string. The .HACK gTLD is intended to serve a broad range of registrants and users, including individuals, businesses, organizations, communities, projects, and other entities that identify with, relate to, or wish to be associated with the concept represented by the applied-for string. The purpose of .HACK is to enable registrants to establish online identities using domain names that correspond to this concept. To achieve this purpose, Acid Medal, LLC will make .HACK available for registration through registrars and other appropriate distribution channels; maintain a secure, stable, and reliable registry infrastructure; implement registration and operational policies that support the availability, security, and integrity of the namespace; and provide ongoing administration of the gTLD to enable registrants to register and use domain names within the namespace. The purpose of .HACK is sustainable over time because the applied-for string is broadly recognized and has broad applicability across a wide range of contexts. As society, technology, and methods of communication evolve, organizations and individuals will continue to establish online identities associated with the applied-for string.

Link Freedom Group (LFG) aspires to become a best-in-class, vertically integrated domain name registration authority, see linkfreedomgroup.link. This TLD is part of a carefully curated portfolio of strings that LFG intends to pursue in ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Program. In assembling this portfolio, LFG focused on securing meaningful, memorable, and commercially compelling strings that resonate strongly with end users and offer long-term growth potential. Over the past four years, LFG (Nova Registry) has successfully grown its flagship TLD, .LINK, from approximately 125,000 to more than 300,000 domains under management. This growth has been driven by innovative distribution strategies, the expansion of registrar partnerships, and a granular pricing model that has enabled .LINK to remain competitively priced while avoiding the significant fee increases implemented by some other registry operators. LFG’s experience in the domain name industry has reinforced one of the key lessons from the 2012 application round: long-term sustainability is strengthened through portfolio diversification. By spreading operational costs and mitigating revenue fluctuations across multiple TLDs, LFG is better positioned to withstand market volatility and invest in continued growth. Accordingly, LFG believes that even obtaining a subset of the TLDs for which it has applied will establish a diversified portfolio capable of supporting long-term economic stability, operational resilience, and sustainable growth.

The mission of .HACK is to create a distinctive namespace for ethical hacking, cybersecurity, responsible security research, technology, innovation, and creative problem-solving. The word "hack" has established meanings extending from the exploration and improvement of technology to clever or unconventional solutions to everyday problems, giving .HACK relevance across professional, educational, technical, maker, and creative communities. Intended registrants include cybersecurity professionals and researchers, authorized penetration testers, security teams, bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure programs, cybersecurity educators and training providers, developers and open-source projects, secure-software initiatives, hackathon organizers and participants, makers and technology communities, publishers, creators, and individuals with a meaningful connection to legitimate hacking, technology, or inventive problem-solving. Intended users include developers, security professionals, students, educators, technology enthusiasts, makers, organizations, and audiences seeking related knowledge, tools, training, services, projects, events, or communities. Natural and legitimate uses include cybersecurity research and education; authorized security testing; vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty resources; secure coding and software development; technical documentation; training and learning resources; capture-the-flag competitions; hackathons; open-source projects; maker and hardware projects; technology communities; productivity and everyday "hacks"; personal sites; and other legitimate products, services, content, and experiences. From finding a security flaw to finding a smarter way to solve a problem, .HACK provides a memorable digital identity for people who look at how things work and ask how they might work better. Oinkadot intends to support the development of the namespace through broad registrar distribution, appropriate positioning of .HACK for its legitimate intended markets, and ongoing awareness of its diverse cybersecurity, technological, educational, maker, and creative uses. The purpose is sustainable because hacking, in its legitimate forms, is rooted in curiosity, experimentation, security, innovation, and problem-solving - activities that evolve alongside technology itself. New technologies create new challenges, and new challenges inspire people to understand, test, improve, and sometimes rethink how things work. There will always be something to build, something to test, and something to make better. This continuing cycle of technological change, learning, and innovation provides a broad foundation for long-term interest in the .HACK namespace.