AnyName Timeline – From Concept to Deployment

Summary
The AnyName framework is now entering its coordination phase with ICANN, the CA/B Forum, and the IETF.
We expect initial test implementations to begin shortly, with an agreed policy framework anticipated during 2027.

Current status
AnyName is at the beginning of its formal journey through the Internet’s technical and policy processes.
Discussions with ICANN, the CA/B Forum, and the IETF are now starting. Each of these communities must be satisfied that the framework protects DNS stability and user safety before adoption can move forward.
Because these procedures have no fixed duration, the timeline remains approximate. See ICANN & CA/B & IETF for details regarding the necessary implementations.

Near-term outlook (2025–2027)
ICANN’s next round of new gTLDs is scheduled to accept applications around mid-2026, and the first second-generation brand TLDs could be added to the root zone as early as mid-2027.
Our goal is to have the AnyName framework reviewed, tested, and ready for voluntary use by that time, so that brand and community registries in the new round can integrate intent-aware wildcarding safely and under strict policy control.

Testbed development
To accelerate acceptance, we are preparing a practical test environment starting now.
We are seeking to partner with brand gTLD operators to demonstrate the idea in practice.
Ideal candidates include Amazon and Google/YouTube, which both operate their own public Certificate Authorities and could therefore host a secure wildcard pilot within their namespaces.
We are also approaching Cloudflare to help establish a shared testbed capable of issuing and managing the required certificates and edge logic.

These pilots would operate under the same policy framework proposed to ICANN, the CA/B Forum, and the IETF, ensuring that every step of the experiment remains transparent, auditable, and compliant with existing standards.
The objective is to allow all stakeholders to observe system behavior, evaluate user benefit, and verify that wildcarding can be implemented safely when subject to strict eligibility and oversight.

Invitation for ambassadors
Progress within ICANN and related bodies is always faster when stakeholders show practical demand.
We are therefore looking for ambassador gTLDs — operators willing to publicly support or test the technology — so that the discussion can move from theory to demonstration.
If your organization operates a gTLD and wishes to help pioneer a safer, more intuitive DNS, please contact us.

Target availability
We strive to begin the first test implementations in the near term, once the necessary coordination with ICANN, the CA/B Forum, and the IETF is in place.
Our aim is to establish an agreed policy framework during 2027 that defines how eligible gTLDs may safely deploy intent-aware wildcarding.

For more information please send an email to alexander.schubert@anyname.technology or call +1(202)888-2029