The New gTLD Wild West: Why 5 Registrars Handle Half of All Blocklisted Domains
When you're launching a new startup or building your next big web project, the last thing you want is your carefully chosen domain name associated with spam, malware, or phishing operations. But according to a sobering new report from Interisle, the new gTLD space remains a domain registrar's nightmare—littered with bad actors and concentrated in ways that should make every legitimate business pause.
The Numbers Don't Lie (Mostly)
Interisle's research identified roughly 8.5 million blocklisted domains across new gTLD registrations in 2025. That's a staggering figure. But here's the kicker: approximately 50% of those domains trace back to just five registrars. Just five.
Let that sink in.
This concentration suggests that either these registrars have fundamentally broken vetting processes, they're actively facilitating abusive registrations for profit, or they're so large that bad actors naturally gravitate toward them. (Or, most likely, some combination of all three.)
ICANN Pushes Back
Not surprisingly, ICANN has disputed Interisle's methodology. The organization claims the counting and identification methods may overstate the problem or mischaracterize certain registrations. This is the same ICANN that oversees the domain industry and has historically been criticized for move-at-a-glacier-speed enforcement against registrars who turn a blind eye to abuse.
Look, methodology disputes are common in security research. But when you have half of all blocklisted domains flowing through five registrars, the data tells a story regardless of minor methodological quibbles.
What This Means for Your Business
If you're a developer, startup founder, or tech entrepreneur, here's why this matters to you:
1. Your domain's reputation affects deliverability. Email servers and spam filters learn from the broader registration ecosystem. If your registrar has a poor reputation due to neighbor domains engaging in abuse, you might find your legitimate emails landing in spam folders more frequently.
2. Brand safety extends to your registrar. When major brands conduct due diligence or advertising networks check domain reputations, your registrar's overall track record can influence how your properties are treated.
3. Not all registrars are created equal. This report highlights why choosing a registrar based purely on price is shortsighted. Registrars with robust abuse prevention, transparent policies, and active enforcement protect not just themselves but their entire customer base.
The Path Forward
At NameOcean, we believe the domain registration industry needs more accountability, not less. While we can't control what other registrars do, we can control our own practices—implementing strong verification, maintaining active abuse teams, and refusing to prioritize growth over integrity.
For those building businesses online, the lesson here is clear: your domain registrar isn't just a vendor; they're a partner in your online reputation. Choose wisely.
The new gTLD space may always attract some level of abuse—that's the nature of open registration. But concentration at this scale points to systemic failures that the entire industry, including ICANN, needs to address head-on.
Stay vigilant, verify your registrar's abuse policies before you register, and remember: when it comes to your online presence, reputation is everything.