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Overview
Verisign runs the master registries for .com and .net, maintaining the database of all registered domain names and the global infrastructure that makes those domains reachable. It sells registration and renewal services to registrars (like GoDaddy and Namecheap) and provides authoritative DNS resolution to ensure websites load. It concentrates on backbone registry operations and DNS infrastructure rather than consumer services, with a long track record of 24/7 reliability. Its goal is to keep the internet’s naming system stable and secure while providing predictable revenue from registry services.
About Verisign
Industries
Data & Analytics
Enterprise Software
Cybersecurity
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Herndon, Virginia
Founded
1995
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Q2 2026 revenue rose 6% to $435 million, and domain registrations hit 179.1 million.
- On July 22, 2026, Verisign delegated .web, creating uncapped pricing upside.
- Verisign refinanced $550 million debt on June 26, 2026, extending maturity to 2031.
What critics are saying
- Texas courts ordered Verisign to lock motherless.com on June 4, 2026, politicizing .com control.
- Verisign's .com and .net contracts expire in 2029 and 2030, reopening pricing fights.
- Agentic browsing in Chrome and ChatGPT cuts direct domain navigation, crushing new registrations.
What makes Verisign unique
- Verisign runs .com and .net, plus two Internet root nameservers.
- ICANN renewed Verisign's .com registry agreement on November 27, 2024.
- Verisign won .web in July 2026, adding a premium extension beyond regulated .com.
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Funding
Total Funding
$705.3M
Above
Industry Average
Funded Over
6 Rounds
SoftBank
Kleiner PerkinsBenefits
Hybrid Work Options
Performance Bonus
Stock Options
Stock Price
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 0%2 year growth
↑ 0%VeriSign CEO James Bidzos sold 3,300 shares of common stock on 4 August 2026 for $979,000, according to an SEC filing. The transaction represents 0.8% of his total direct holdings. The shares were sold at a weighted average price of $296.54. Following the sale, Bidzos retains 409,639 shares valued at $122.56 million. The sale occurred as VeriSign delivered a 16.4% return in 2026 to date. VeriSign operates as the authoritative registry for .com and .net domains and provides fundamental internet infrastructure services. The company reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $1.7 billion and net income of $850 million, supporting a market capitalisation of $27 billion.
The .web domain took 30 years to escape legal limbo. The internet finally has a top-level domain bearing its most familiar name. Verisign has added .web to the global Domain Name System, ending a dispute that stretched across decades of internet history. The delay was not technical. The extension was proposed as early as 1997, but competing claims intensified when ICANN auctioned it in 2016. Seven applicants participated, and NU DOT CO won with a record $135 million bid financed by Verisign. That arrangement triggered objections because Verisign already operates the commercially dominant .com registry. Rival applicant Afilias, now Altanovo, argued that bidding through another company violated ICANN's procedures. The controversy also attracted scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, although its investigation ended without charges. With the disputes now resolved, Verisign gains control of a name with unusually broad global appeal. Unlike many new extensions associated with narrow industries or communities, .web can describe almost any digital business. Its success is not guaranteed. Consumers still trust .com, while hundreds of alternative domains compete for attention. Yet the value of the auction shows that registry operators view memorable extensions as long-term infrastructure assets. The arrival of .web demonstrates that internet governance moves on a different timeline from technology. A domain can be technically simple, commercially obvious, and still remain unavailable for decades because control of online naming carries enormous legal and economic power. 28.07.2026 Jack Black
VeriSign reported record-breaking Q2 2026 results with 12.7 million new domain registrations, the largest quarterly increase in company history. Revenue reached $435 million, up 6% year-over-year, whilst earnings per share rose 7.7% to $2.38. The domain name base grew to 179.1 million names. Operating cash flow increased to $232 million from $202 million, and free cash flow more than doubled to $213 million from $109 million in the prior year. The board expanded the share repurchase programme by $884 million, bringing total authorisation to $1.5 billion. The company declared a $0.81 per share dividend payable 27 August 2026. VeriSign provided full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $1.745 billion to $1.755 billion, with operating income expected between $1.185 billion and $1.195 billion.
Verisign has announced that the .web domain has been delegated into the global Domain Name System's root zone, with Verisign as the designated registry operator. The delegation follows the resolution of all previous disputes related to the generic top-level domain. Verisign operates the registry infrastructure for .com and .net, maintaining 29 years of uninterrupted DNS resolution. The company will offer .web through its channel partners later this year. The .web domain will be governed by ICANN's Base Registry Agreement and will not be subject to the Cooperative Agreement between Verisign and the US Department of Commerce. Verisign will share further details about the planned launch in the coming months.
VeriSign operates the registry infrastructure for all .com and .net domains through exclusive regulatory agreements. The company generated $1.1 billion in free cash flow on $1.7 billion in revenue last year, yet its stock has underperformed the broader market by around 30% over the past year. AI adoption has initially boosted VeriSign, with management reporting AI-powered tools lowering barriers to website creation. The domain base grew 3.7% year-over-year in Q1 2026. However, longer-term concerns centre on whether AI agents might reduce the relevance of traditional web addresses. VeriSign's .net and .com contracts with internet regulators expire in 2029 and 2030 respectively. Whilst the company has presumptive renewal rights, uncertainty around pricing terms may keep investors cautious until there is greater clarity.
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About Verisign
Industries
Data & Analytics
Enterprise Software
Cybersecurity
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Herndon, Virginia
Founded
1995
Verisign is Hiring for 20 Jobs on Simplify!
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today