Top-level domain '.austin' launches for city at South by Southwest

A new web domain has launched for people in the City of Austin to utilize.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new web domain has launched for people in the City of Austin to utilize.

The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, or GAACC, in partnership with Unstoppable Domains, announced the launch of top-level domain .austin last week at South By Southwest, according to a press release.

A top-level domain, or TLD, is the last part of the text in a domain name like .com, .net or .org, according to Forbes. Every website address has a top-level domain. 

The release said the launch of .austin "represents the first city-based superpowered web domain, leveraging blockchain technology, which ensures security and trustworthiness and highlights the city's reputation as a friendly and innovative tech hub."

The .austin domains are exclusively on the Polygon network and are considered more secure than the other four existing tradition TLDs: .nyc, .miami, .vegas, and .boston, the release said.

"We are proud to lead the adoption of the .austin domain, with the vision of strengthening the bonds within our community and beyond," Mark Duval, President and CEO of the GAACC said. "This city-centric domain allows people to own a piece of digital identity that advocates their support for our community. We aim to ensure that our members, Austin businesses, residents, and visitors have new ways to celebrate the city's dynamism and diversity."

Those who purchased .austin domains during South by Southwest were awarded special digital badges, visible on their Unstoppable Domains account. With .austin domains, domain holders will "gain access to a versatile and interoperable domain that bridges the gap between traditional web experiences and the collaborative potential of Web3," the release said.

The release said the domains seek to "foster a sense of digital community amongst GAACC members, Austin businesses and visitors, providing domain owners with the ability to show their ambassadorship via email signature, social media, and web3 applications with a branded domain extension, paving the way for future digital applications and use cases."

"The launch of the .austin TLD is a big move forward in our mission to revolutionize digital identity. This endeavor is about creating a cohesive online ecosystem that mirrors the innovation, creativity, and community spirit that Austin is celebrated for worldwide," Sandy Carter, COO at Unstoppable Domains, said.

Find more information online at Unstoppable Domains.