.kiwi
Internet top-level domain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.kiwi is an Internet generic top-level domain with emphasis on New Zealand. It employs the colloquial term kiwi, used to refer to New Zealanders.[1]
| |
| Introduced | 25 November 2013 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | GeoTLD |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Dot Kiwi Ltd. (operated by InternetNZ) |
| Sponsor | Dot Kiwi Ltd. |
| Intended use | Entities connected with New Zealand |
| DNSSEC | Yes |
| Registry website | https://hello.kiwi/ |
As of January 2024[update] there are just under 11,000 registered .kiwi domains, connected to 8,633 active websites.[2]
History
Dot Kiwi Limited reportedly spent a "seven-figure" sum securing the new top level domain from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).[3]
The domain launched with a 'landrush' period in March 2014 after two years of planning.[4]
In May 2014, shortly after launch, 4,600 .kiwi domains had been activated.[5] As at the first anniversary on 1 May 2015, 12,000 .kiwi domains had been registered. Dot Kiwi Limited claimed that this meant .kiwi was in the top 25 per cent of new domains released by ICANN.[6]
The .kiwi top level domain is not to be confused with .kiwi.nz, which launched as a new option under the .nz top level domain in August 2012.[7]
The technical backend was originally provided by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority's Fury product.[8] In 2024, InternetNZ signed a contract with Dot Kiwi Ltd. to provide registry and registrar support services for the domain.[9]
