3,913 predictions,
hashed before the window closed.

How many applications?

We publish a range, not a single hero number — and it brackets the industry's own anchors rather than betting against them.

Most contested strings

Strings where two or more applicants are likely to collide — the ones headed for auction or the 2026 backup-string mechanism. Ranked by expected competing applications (how many filings we expect beyond the front-runner), so the many-applicant generic fights surface first.

Full contention set — all 2,228 strings with applicant names — in the contention brief.

Category strings — weather

Generic category strings have no single owner, so we forecast the weather — how likely the string is contested — not a named applicant. 493 eligible strings; 2-letter (ccTLD-reserved) and already-delegated strings are excluded. The table shows the 40 stormiest.

Named operator watchlist for these categories is available on request — get in touch.

Confirmed before the window closed

Publicly announced applications, logged here before ICANN's list drops — and whether our forecast already had the string.

Where the filings come from

Candidate count and expected filings diverge sharply — heritage brands are numerous but unlikely to file; web3 and AI applicants are fewer but far more likely to.