The top-level domain (TLD) “CHROME” does not exist in the current list of TLDs maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) as of the time this was written. Top-level domains are the highest level of domain names in the root zone of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. The official list of TLDs can be found on the IANA’s website (https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt).
The TLDs are mainly divided into three types: country-code TLDs (ccTLDs), generic TLDs (gTLDs), and infrastructure top-level domain. The ccTLDs are two-letter TLDs reserved for specific countries or territories, such as .us for United States, .fr for France, and .jp for Japan.
The gTLDs, on the other hand, include highly popular ones like .com for commercial, .net for network, and .org for organization. There can also be new gTLDs (nTLDs) introduced by ICANN like .app, .bike, .camera etc. These new TLDs provide an opportunity to be more creative with domain names.
The last kind is the infrastructure TLD which has one member, i.e., .arpa. It is managed directly by the IANA and is used exclusively for Internet infrastructure purposes.
However, the “CHROME” TLD is not listed in any of the aforementioned categories. It’s possible that the query intended to refer to a product-specific, trademarked use of the word “chrome,” as in Google’s web browser known as Google Chrome.
To reference proprietary products or services, companies can apply for a dedicated branded Top-Level Domain (TLD). And branded TLDs, such as .google or .amazon, have been assigned by IANA. But as of now, there has no such top-level domain been registered or assigned with the name of .chrome.
Importantly, each application for a new gTLD enters a rigorous process of evaluation by ICANN before it can be granted, which includes demonstrating sufficient financial, technical, operational capability, legal rights to the name, and a legitimate intent for use, amongst other requirements.
Hence, even if Google were to apply for the “CHROME” TLD, it would still have to undergo this evaluation process and be granted the TLD by ICANN before the .chrome TLD could officially be recognized and used on the Internet.
To sum up, the “CHROME” top-level domain does not currently exist. However, that does not mean it could never be created in the future if an entity were to meet all requirements and be granted the TLD by ICANN. For the most accurate and up-to-date list of TLDs, one should always refer to the list provided by IANA.
References:
1. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (2021). Root Zone Database. Retrieved from https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt.
2. ICANN (2021). New gTLD Program. Retrieved from https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program.
