.Anime Intends to Officially Enter the ICANN Application Process.

We launched .anime in June 2024 as a Web3 domain, and together with Kintsugi Global, we were the first to publicly announce our intention to pursue ICANN recognition. Since then, we’ve been actively planning and preparing for the formal application process.

Now, we’re excited to officially announce that we intend to submit .anime into ICANN’s 2026 gTLD application round. This step marks a major milestone for one of the world’s most beloved cultural communities, bringing anime fandom into both Web3 and the traditional internet ecosystem.

If approved, .anime would function as a fully recognized DNS top-level domain, joining iconic extensions like .com, .net, and .org, while also becoming one of the first fandom-focused TLDs to bridge DNS and Web3, creating a unified space for anime fans, creators, and brands alike. This would allow .anime domain holders to use their names across standard Web2 applications like email, website resolution in browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge, while retaining the onchain functionality already available with Web3 domains.

That means .anime will continue to offer fan-owned, verifiable digital identity with features like crypto payments, messaging, onchain profiles, and websites, while also unlocking global accessibility through DNS.

Anime is one of the largest cultural movements in the world, with more than 2.8 billion fans worldwide. The industry is on track to reach over $47 billion in value by 2028, with nearly a third of revenue coming from collectibles and merchandise alone.

.Anime was originally launched as a Web3-only TLD with sights on ICANN participation in partnership with Kintsugi Global back in 2024, giving fans the ability to showcase their identity, support creators, and connect across fandom communities. Now, by entering the ICANN process, .anime is taking the next step to expand its reach by bridging fan culture across Web2 and Web3.

Kintsugi brings decades of anime and manga media expertise to the table, along with powerful market validation and institutional backing. The company has been selected as a supporter of Japan’s prestigious Digiden Initiative, part of the country’s National Digital Content Strategy, positioning it to lead the global distribution of Japanese creative IP. This endorsement underscores the strategic role of Kintsugi’s My.Anime platform in Japan’s $34B anime economy.

Despite still being in private beta, My.Anime has already secured over 35 letters of intent from anime and gaming creators and built a waitlist of 3.5 million fans, serving as proof of both demand and community momentum. The platform targets a massive, underserved global audience, operating at the intersection of three fast-growing markets: the $240B creator economy, the $34B anime industry, and the $6B+ gaming and fandom verticals, including a specific focus on underserved female audiences and international anime fans. With more than 800 million anime fans living outside Japan and over $15.5B in annual piracy driven by lack of access, My.Anime offers a new model for direct engagement and verified fan identity.

Behind Kintsugi is founder Ron Scovil, a 35-year media veteran whose work helped shape the modern anime industry. Scovil co-founded TokyoPop (formerly Mixx Entertainment), introduced Sailor Moon to Western audiences, and pioneered the girls’ manga demographic, helping establish the $13.5B North American manga market. He received rare recognition from Japan’s Ministry of Education to translate the country’s most sacred literary work, Genji Monogatari, and has successfully built and exited multiple media ventures, including Mixx Entertainment ($75M) and a role in the acquisition of Fox Family/Saban ($3.5B), with over 4 million graphic novels sold. Scovil has been featured in Nikkei, CNBC, and CNN Financial News and brings a depth of market-building experience and cultural credibility that few in the industry can match.

Together, Kintsugi and .anime represent not just a fan-led movement, but a strategically positioned, culturally grounded domain initiative with global impact.

.Anime’s path to ICANN highlights the growing potential of Web3-born TLDs to bridge into traditional internet infrastructure. For anime fans, creators, and companies worldwide, this represents a new opportunity: a domain that’s globally accessible, technically powerful, and culturally resonant.

The journey of .anime is just beginning, and the future of digital identity for anime fans is set to be brighter than ever.

Get your .anime domain today!