
Ask HN: We have free SSL certs now. Isn't it time we got free domain names? - mathnmusic
Is it possible? What&#x27;s the actual cost of maintaining a TLD registry? Can it be funded like LetsEncrypt?<p>(Ignoring blockchain-based name registries as they aren&#x27;t universally supported, and still cost money.)
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zimbatm
The main issue that has to be solved is name squatting.

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learn_awesome
This indeed seems to be the main issue (which LetsEncrypt didn't need to worry
about). Zero cost would necessarily mean that early users will hoard all the
valuable names, leading us back to square one.

Human-recognizable names are a scarce commodity. Zero price would create a
market distortion.

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wmf
Unfortunately ICANN has issued lucrative contracts allowing registries to
charge ~$8/year/domain or more and it seems like the cost of providing those
registries has expanded to consume all that money (like in the old days of Ma
Bell). Companies will never give up that money.

