As of my knowledge, there is currently no recognized top-level domain (TLD) under the .HOT extension based on the data from Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that oversees and manages all domain names on the internet.
A top-level domain or TLD can be understood as the most significant part of a domain name – the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. Examples of common TLDs include .com, .net, .org, .gov, and so on. This system is managed and administered by the ICANN, which is a non-profit organization. TLDs are mainly categorized under generic TLDs (gTLDs), country code TLDs (ccTLDs), and infrastructure TLD (.arpa).
Generic TLDs (gTLDs) constitute most widely seen TLDs such as .com, .net, .org, etc., that are open for registration to the general public. These TLDs are not restricted to any country or type of organization. Meanwhile, ccTLDs are meant for specific countries and their territories, for instance, .us for the United States, .uk for the United Kingdom, and .au for Australia.
The .arpa TLD is an exception, as it’s exclusively used for technical infrastructure purposes. Additionally, there are also sponsored top-level domains (sTLDs) which represent a specific community served by the particular domain. Examples include .edu for educational institutions and .gov for United States governmental entities.
ICANN has been actively expanding the number of TLDs over the past several years to allow for more variability and creativity in domain name registrations. This is done via an application process where organizations can propose new top-level domains. For example, in 2012, ICANN opened up the application for new gTLDs that brought hundreds of new choices to the Internet, including anything from .diamonds to .photography.
However, as of the latest update, there is no information on .HOT being a registered TLD. It’s always possible that a new TLD may be created in the future if there is a demand and a corresponding application is approved by ICANN.
To summarize, referring to reliable sources such as ICANN and IANA, currently, .HOT is not recognized as an official top-level domain. The state of TLDs can change as new gTLDs continually arrive, so it’s always a good idea to stay updated with information from authoritative sources like ICANN and IANA.
Sources:
1. ICANN: https://www.icann.org/
2. IANA: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db
3. ICANN’s New gTLD Program: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings
