The top-level domain (TLD) “xn—80asehdb” is an internationalized domain name (IDN) for the Cyrillic equivalent of “.online” – “.онлайн”. This is part of the new TLD program run by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization responsible for coordinating the internet’s naming system.
To put this in context, TLDs are the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System on the internet. Typical examples include .com, .net, .org, which most users are probably familiar with. Nonetheless, the IDN program, as part of an initiative to enhance diversity and inclusivity, allows domains to be registered in multiple scripts including Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, and other non-Latin scripts, a milestone step in making the internet more globally accessible than ever.
The domain “xn—80asehdb” is part of the Punycode translation of “.онлайн” into ASCII that DNS can understand and process. Punycode is a method defined in IETF’s (Internet Engineering Task Force) document RFC 3492 enabling the representation of Unicode strings into a limited character set supported by ASCII.
Radix, one of the world’s largest domain portfolio registries, operates the “.онлайн” TLD. Since it became operational, it has been extremely popular for many users and businesses who want a domain name communicating ‘online’ meaning in Russian.
Examples of websites using this TLD include websites aimed at Russian-speaking audiences. For example, интернетмагазин.онлайн, translating to “internet shop.online”, adopts this TLD, demonstrating a clear connection to e-commerce.
Sources used in constructing this answer include ICANN for details about the new TLD program and internationalized domain names, IETF for information about Punycode, and Radix’s official website for details about who operates the “.онлайн” TLD.
In conclusion, the top-level domain “xn—80asehdb” represents the “.онлайн” TLD, allowing individual and businesses to have domains in Cyrillic script, therefore, enhancing the localization and personalization of the internet. This has been an impactful move towards supporting and preserving cultural diversity on the internet, which is indeed an embodiment of a truly Worldwide Web.
Sources:
ICANN: https://archive.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/briefing-note-2008-oct-en.pdf
Radix: https://radix.website/our-domain-extensions
IETF : https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3492.txt
