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 the .mars gTLD is to provide a secure, stable and broadly accessible namespace for individuals, businesses, organizations and other lawful users worldwide.
The string “mars” refers primarily to Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun. It was selected for its broad recognition, memorability and suitability as a distinctive Internet identifier. Although the word may evoke a variety of general ideas and associations, those associations do not define or restrict the purpose of the TLD.
Domain names may be registered and used for websites, email, digital identities, commercial activities, creative projects, informational resources and other lawful purposes, subject to applicable law, ICANN requirements and registry policies.
To achieve its purpose, the Applicant intends to make registrations available through ICANN-accredited registrars, support broad and non-discriminatory access, maintain appropriate rights-protection and DNS-abuse-mitigation mechanisms, and operate the registry in accordance with applicable technical, operational and contractual requirements.
The purpose is sustainable over time because .mars is not dependent upon a single industry, geographic market, community, trend or category of registrant. Its broad intended use permits the namespace to serve different lawful users and purposes as Internet practices evolve. Sustainability will be supported through standard domain registration and renewal revenues, registrar distribution, responsible financial planning and continued investment in secure and reliable registry operations.