Quick answer
Can I register a .io domain in your company's name?
Yes: you can register a .io domain in our name at NomineeName. The registrant is DomaineGoat LLC, incorporated in Panama, so the registrant record and WHOIS/RDAP show the company, never you. As of October 2026, .io costs $54.99/year, nominee registration included. No ID, no KYC — only a verified email, kept private — and you pay in crypto.
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- .io $54.99
.io availability is confirmed when you order, not instantly.
.io in our name: key facts
| Registrant of record | DomaineGoat LLC (Panama), included in the price |
|---|---|
| Beneficial owner | You: DNS, nameservers, renewals and transfers from your account |
| Price per year | $54.99/year · renewal $54.99 · transfer $54.99 |
| Registry | Internet Computer Bureau Limited |
| Country or territory | British Indian Ocean Territory |
| Registration term (years per order) | minimum 1, maximum 10 |
| Typical use | Startups, SaaS, developer tools, crypto/web3 projects |
| DNSSEC | ✓ |
| ID or KYC | None: one verified email per domain, mandatory, never sent to the registry |
| Crypto accepted | BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC |
Who registers .io in a company's name?
A .io is the address of many startups, SaaS products, developer tools and crypto or web3 projects. These teams often register the name months before they launch, sometimes before the company exists. Nominee registration lets the founders hold the .io without a personal name in the registry, then move it to the company once it is incorporated.
What the .io registry receives, what WHOIS shows, what we keep
| Who | What they get for your .io domain |
|---|---|
| Internet Computer Bureau Limited | DomaineGoat LLC as holder, with the company's address. Nothing about you. |
| Public WHOIS / RDAP | The company as registrant, or fields the registry redacts. Never your name. |
| NomineeName | Your verified email and your orders. The email never goes to the registry. |
| You | Beneficial owner: DNS, renewals and the transfer code (free, from your account, at any time). |
What does the .io registry ask of a holder?
.io is the country code of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Internet Computer Bureau Limited, a subsidiary of Identity Digital, runs it. As a country code, it follows its own registry rules, not the ICANN contract for generic names. The registry sets no residence or nationality condition, and privacy services are allowed. Our company is the registrant it receives. Availability of a .io name is confirmed when you order, not by an instant check.
What should you check before registering .io?
- The Chagos question: the future of .io is tied to the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. The UK–Mauritius treaty was put on ice in 2026 and .io is operating normally. Long-term uncertainty remains, so keep a fallback such as a .com for critical services.
- Term: 1 to 10 years per order.
- Startups: see domains before launch.
.io price per year
| Extension | 1st year | Renewal | Transfer | Registrant shown | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .io | $54.99 | $54.99 | $54.99 | In our name, included | None |
One price to register, renew and transfer, nominee registration included. Optional Domain protection: +$29/year per domain. All prices: pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is .io safe to register in 2026?
It is operating normally as of October 2026. The Chagos treaty between the UK and Mauritius was shelved in 2026, which removed the near-term pressure on the extension. Nobody can promise its long-term status, so serious projects often register the matching .com as a fallback.
Why is my .io search not confirmed instantly?
For .io, the client area cannot always get a live answer from the registry. Availability is confirmed when you order. If the name turns out to be taken, the order is not completed.
Can my startup take the .io in its own name after incorporation?
Yes, free, on request. The .io registry sets no residence rule, so a company from any country can hold it. A common plan is to keep it in our name until launch, then ask for the hand-back. Steps: take your domain back in your name.
Who owns a .io domain held in your name?
DomaineGoat LLC is the registrant of record and you are the beneficial owner, under a written agreement in our terms. Your transfer code: free, from your account, at any time. The hand-back of the .io name to you is free, on request to support from your verified email address. It works where the registry accepts you as holder.
Can a complaint take my .io domain down?
Not on its own: copyright, defamation, political or competitor complaints need a decision from a Panamanian court. The strict exceptions have fixed delays: phishing, malware, botnets and fraud that takes money from victims within 24 hours of a well-documented report, child sexual abuse material immediately. See the abuse policy.
Sources (5)
- IANA Root Zone Database: .io — IANA (checked 2026-10-19)
- Amazon Route 53: registering .io domains — Amazon Web Services (checked 2026-10-19)
- .io (Wikipedia) — Wikipedia (checked 2026-10-19)
- .io safe for now as the Chagos deal is put on ice — Domain Incite (checked 2026-10-19)
- RDAP lookup of any domain — ICANN (checked 2026-10-19)