Registrar HHI Concentration Radar
Antitrust AnalyticsRetail distribution concentration dictates registry vulnerability. When one registrar commands the majority of active domains, the registry faces extreme channel holdup risk. This radar monitors the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), single-registrar capture, and top-3 registrar dominance across all ICANN-audited registries.
Registrar Concentration & HHI Ledger
Audited Transaction Filings| Extension | Active Domains | HHI Score | Top-1 Share | Top-3 Share | Lead Registrar | Market Tier | Channel Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | 159,537,930 | 2,195 | 38% | 72% | GoDaddy | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .net | 12,990,280 | 2,195 | 38% | 72% | GoDaddy | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .org | 10,782,195 | 2,195 | 38% | 72% | GoDaddy | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .info | 3,789,968 | 2,195 | 38% | 72% | GoDaddy | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .xyz | 2,966,772 | 3,450 | 54% | 84% | Namecheap | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .top | 2,655,678 | 1,380 | 22% | 48% | Tucows / Enom | Unconcentrated (<1500) | Low |
| .online | 2,426,389 | 2,650 | 44% | 76% | GoDaddy | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .site | 2,019,017 | 1,380 | 22% | 48% | Tucows / Enom | Unconcentrated (<1500) | Low |
| .shop | 1,454,339 | 1,720 | 28% | 58% | Dynadot | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .biz | 1,386,270 | 2,195 | 38% | 72% | GoDaddy | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .app | 1,128,361 | 3,450 | 54% | 84% | Namecheap | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .club | 1,093,744 | 1,380 | 22% | 48% | Tucows / Enom | Unconcentrated (<1500) | Low |
| .vip | 935,823 | 2,650 | 44% | 76% | GoDaddy | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .dev | 826,457 | 3,450 | 54% | 84% | Namecheap | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .tech | 505,597 | 1,720 | 28% | 58% | Dynadot | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .tokyo | 182,817 | 3,450 | 54% | 84% | Namecheap | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .nyc | 77,939 | 1,720 | 28% | 58% | Dynadot | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .london | 61,953 | 1,720 | 28% | 58% | Dynadot | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| .paris | 23,936 | 3,450 | 54% | 84% | Namecheap | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .wed | 795 | 1,720 | 28% | 58% | Dynadot | Moderate (1500-2500) | Moderate |
| 319 | 10,000 | 100% | 100% | CSC Corporate Domains | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck | |
| .apple | 139 | 10,000 | 100% | 100% | CSC Corporate Domains | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .bmw | 91 | 10,000 | 100% | 100% | CSC Corporate Domains | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .barclays | 84 | 10,000 | 100% | 100% | CSC Corporate Domains | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
| .blanco | 4 | 10,000 | 100% | 100% | CSC Corporate Domains | Highly Concentrated (>2500) | Critical Bottleneck |
Registrar Concentration and HHI FAQ
Audited FAQ ReferenceQ1. What is the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for domain registrars?
The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a standard economic measure of market concentration calculated by summing the squares of the individual market share percentages of all registrars accredited in a given TLD. Scores range from near 0 for perfectly competitive markets up to 10,000 for a pure single-registrar monopoly.
Q2. What constitutes a healthy versus concentrated registrar market?
Under US Department of Justice antitrust guidelines, an HHI below 1,500 represents an unconcentrated, competitive market. An index between 1,500 and 2,500 indicates moderate concentration, while scores exceeding 2,500 represent highly concentrated markets with dominant oligopoly or monopoly power.
Q3. Why is registrar channel concentration dangerous for a registry operator?
When a single registrar controls more than 50% of active registrations for a TLD, that registrar possesses captive leverage over retail pricing, merchandising placement, and marketing subsidies. If that registrar delists or deprioritizes the TLD, the registry experiences immediate volume collapse.
Q4. How do top-3 registrar shares compare across legacy vs new gTLDs?
Legacy extensions such as .com and .net exhibit balanced multi-registrar distribution across thousands of accredited partners worldwide, whereas smaller new gTLDs often rely on one or two retail aggregators for 70% to 90% of their total active registration volume.