Dot-Coms Getting to Domain Argument Is It Too Late for Sex. If new TLDs alleviate the domain name scarcity, these prices might drop. A domain name registry is a system that stores the contact information of domain registrants and tells the Domain Name System which computer on the Net hosts the domain. By contrast, a registrar provides the front-end interface that users see when registering domains.
Many registrars can use one registry.
There have been some unofficial contenders, however, most notably Imagine Online Design and Name. Space , two companies that ran unofficial registries unconnected to the domain name system. Space and IOD lost their bids, however, to become official registries. The dot-coop TLD will use CORE's system for its registry. Noss said the registry biz badly needs competition.