Most ISPs would eventually become registrars. You put forward a good case for having just one registry. In any case, thanks anyway for defending the choice of a single registry. Please define this killing. The upper bound, at least.
Hassle is minimal as far as proving their identity.
Also minimal hassle as far as identity checks go. Therefore, any new TLD that comes in the market can have whatever prices it wants, and it will be used. Yours, John Broomfield.