Future-Proofing gTLDs with Minting as a Service

The next round of gTLD applications is on the horizon with the submission window set to close in mid 2026. For both prospective and established registries, this round represents more than market expansion. It represents a defining moment: how will your TLD compete, differentiate, and remain relevant in a Web3-enabled world?

Enter Minting as a Service (MaaS), the product powering .locker’s Web3 interoperability. MaaS enables registries to extend their TLDs beyond traditional DNS and into blockchain-based naming systems BNS and ENS, unlocking new utility, new revenue models, and a path to long-term differentiation without sacrificing the stability of the existing Web2 ecosystem. 

What Is Minting as a Service (MaaS)?

Minting as a Service is an infrastructure layer that allows domain registries to offer Web3 digital identities directly alongside traditional DNS domains. It connects the centralized world of DNS with the decentralized world of blockchain naming- securely, compliantly, and at scale. Registries can now integrate with MaaS as a white label solution for Web3 interoperability, a major step towards the future for the industry.

With MaaS, domain name users can tap into decentralized technologies that unlock the true potential of blockchain networks without needing to understand the underlying complexity. At the same time, registries maintain their existing business models, compliance obligations, and operational workflows. In short, MaaS allows registries to enter Web3 without abandoning the stability of Web2.  For end users, this is critical. One of the top complaints about blockchain-native TLDs is their inability to host websites or email addresses. MaaS solves that problem, making Web2 and Web3 interoperable domains a standout offering in a very crowded market.

While MaaS is a robust Web3 solution today, Orange Domains and .locker are looking ahead, especially as the Web3 ecosystem evolves. In 2026, MaaS will be testing ENS’ Namechain to mint digital identities on Ethereum, just like .locker does with Bitcoin today. Other blockchains aren’t out of the question either. We are actively seeking other chains to integrate, strengthening .locker and MaaS’ interoperability and increasing utility.

Built for the Registry Ecosystem from Day One

MaaS isn’t a one-off Web3 experiment. It’s designed specifically for the realities of the domain industry and to align with the Web3 ethos.

Streamlined User Experience. The end-user experience is intentionally simple. Registrants interact with Web3-enabled domains through a familiar buying, managing, and renewal process without needing specialized technical knowledge.

Simple Registrar Onboarding and Management. Registries know how difficult it is to partner with registrars on special programs, flows, and offers. But with MaaS, onboarding and management is no different from any other TLD. There are no additional technical requirements or integrations for registrars. 

ICANN Regulatory Alignment. MaaS respects the regulatory frameworks that govern DNS today while keeping Web3 identities synchronized. This ensures registries can innovate without introducing governance, compliance, or policy conflicts.

Respect for the Web3 Ethos. True ownership, security, and decentralized control remain core principles of the digital identities powered by MaaS. MaaS balances regulatory oversight with the fundamentals of Web3 digital identity, empowering users to have more control over their assets and data.

Why MaaS Matters

The upcoming gTLD application round is shaping up to be the most competitive yet. In an already crowded market, registries are no longer competing on TLD desirability. They’re competing on capability, interoperability, and future relevance. Simply having a short TLD isn’t enough when you have multiple alternatives undercutting your value propositions.

MaaS directly addresses these pressures. New gTLDs can launch with native Web3 interoperability, and more importantly, they can launch with a responsible solution that doesn’t conflict with DNS. Existing gTLDs can easily adopt Web3 interoperability as well, adding more value to their offer without degrading Web2 capabilities. MaaS is a true add-on feature for TLDs, not a major technical endeavor.

Domain registries and registrars need to be attentive to how Web3 is influencing our industry. We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of established name management and technological innovation. Despite domain names moonlighting as digital identities on Web3, customers will still need to be matched with their perfect name in a converting domain search surface. They still need frictionless management tools and their rights still need to be protected. We just need a strong backend solution like MaaS to take it to the next level.

Web3 is No Longer Theoretical- It’s an Opportunity

We’re no longer in the “wait and see” phase of Web3. The topic is already embedded in strategic conversations throughout the industry, most recently at ICANN84 in Dublin and NamesCon Miami. Tokenized assets have piqued the interest of investors of all kinds, but it’s domain fractionalization that has the domain investor community abuzz.

Despite a strong presence at recent industry events, there are lingering hesitations around Web3, but the technology has been making major advancements towards legitimacy. Digital assets are now officially recognized via policy and framework, including the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets laws and the United States’ GENIUS Act. Because Web3 relies on the principles of decentralization and trustless transactions, regulation is necessary for instilling trust. Customers don’t want to feel like they are at risk, and protections lowers the barriers to entering the Web3 ecosystem.

Beyond legal recognition, several powerful trends are silently converging and bringing Web3 to the forefront.

Digital wallets are rapidly becoming the primary gateway for credit card payments, and soon they will also be the primary gateway for personal data, payments of all currencies, credentials, and assets. They will also serve as the host for your own AI agent that can do everything from optimize your investment portfolio to plan to scheduling a dinner with friends. Decentralized AI can be just as powerful, expanding horizons and preventing information from being processed in a silo, one of the major drawbacks to today’s AI models. Decentralized AI can pull data from individual digital wallets, analyze it, and produce a more accurate outcome. And the best part? End users get to choose which data points in their digital wallet to share with these models, giving them more control over how their personal data is used.

Regardless of how each individual’s digital wallet evolves, two things will remain constant: the inevitable need for a digital identity and MaaS’ ability to provide those identities.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As the next gTLD application window approaches, registries face a defining question: Will your TLD simply exist in the future internet, or will it help define it?

With Minting as a Service, registries gain the infrastructure to compete, differentiate, and lead in a world where DNS and blockchain naming are no longer separate realities but integrated layers of the same digital identity stack. Web3 isn’t slowing down any time soon, and the opportunity to establish a new TLD as a digital identity is ripe. 

If you’re ready to offer MaaS with your TLD, contact us at MaaS@my.locker.