# Which domains should I register before a token launch?

> Before a token launch, register .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance and .network: $195.94 a year at Wardmint, in one crypto payment.

- URL: https://wardmint.com/domains-to-register-before-a-token-launch/
- Last updated: 2026-11-12
- Publisher: Wardmint (https://wardmint.com)

Register the names while the project is still private, lock them down, and only then announce the token. Here is the list and the order of work.

**Quick answer — Which domains should I register before a token launch?**

Before a token launch, register your name under .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance and .network, then switch on the no-email DNS template and redirects. **Wardmint** prices this launch set at $195.94 a year, $587.82 over 3 years, from one crypto top-up.

## Launch set and what each name costs

*Wardmint prices of 12 November 2026, the same every year.*

| Extension | Per year | Over 3 years | Namecheap regular renewal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| .com | $12.49 | $37.47 | $19.98 |
| .io | $59.49 | $178.47 | $60.78 |
| .xyz | $14.99 | $44.97 | $21.48 |
| .app | $15.99 | $47.97 | $22.98 |
| .finance | $60.49 | $181.47 | $92.98 |
| .network | $32.49 | $97.47 | $52.48 |

*Last checked on November 12, 2026; older figures carry their own date.*

## Timeline from private build to public launch

| When | Action | Why then |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8 weeks before | Pick the final name and register the launch set | A name announced in a pitch deck can be copied the same day |
| 6 weeks before | Switch on the no-email template, redirects, DNSSEC and CAA | Unused names cannot be used to send mail or to host a page |
| 4 weeks before | Add typos and attack words such as -claim and -airdrop | These are the addresses fake announcements will carry |
| 2 weeks before | Turn on auto-renew, check the balance, set up a second person | No variant lapses in the first year of exposure |
| Launch day | Publish only the official address everywhere | Users learn one address; every other one is a clone |
| After launch | Search for look-alikes weekly and report what you find | Registration closes your names; monitoring covers the rest |

## Why register before the announcement and not after?

**Register before the announcement because the announcement is the moment copycats start, and a name taken by someone else can only be won back through a dispute.** Once the token name is public, anyone can register the obvious variants. A UDRP complaint then costs USD 1,500 at WIPO for 1 to 5 domains with a single panelist, and it requires rights in a mark, which a project that has only just chosen its name often lacks. The registration costs $195.94 a year. The cost comparison is in [how much defensive domain registration costs](https://wardmint.com/defensive-domain-registration-cost/ "How much does defensive domain registration cost?").

## What goes in the launch set?

**The launch set is .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance and .network: one name users guess, two common for protocols, one for the front end and two that sound like a financial product.** It is not the full defensive programme. If the budget allows, add .net and .org from the [core set](https://wardmint.com/which-domains-should-a-crypto-project-register/ "Which domains should a crypto project register?") and a few attack words under .com. A team that needs .ai pays $88.49/year for two years, billed at registration.

Before buying, verify that your main name is free under .com. If it is not, choose a different name now, not after the token exists on-chain.

## How do I make the unused names safe?

**Give every unused name two settings: a redirect to your site and a DNS template that sends no mail.** The client area offers a "no email" DNS template (null MX, SPF -all, DMARC p=reject) so a defensive domain cannot be used to spoof your mail, free URL forwarding to send every variant to your main site, and automatic renewal from your balance so no variant lapses. The mail template matters because an unused domain with no SPF or DMARC can be used to send mail that looks like yours. [The guide to stopping email spoofing on unused domains](https://wardmint.com/guides/stop-email-spoofing-on-unused-domains/ "How to stop email spoofing on unused domains") gives the exact records, and [how to redirect defensive domains](https://wardmint.com/guides/redirect-defensive-domains/ "How to redirect defensive domains to your main site") covers the 301 and HTTPS part. DNS hosting is free and includes free DNS hosting with A, AAAA, CNAME, ALIAS, MX, TXT, NS, SRV and CAA records, managed DNSSEC, and your own nameservers if you prefer (2 to 13).

## How does a team pay for the launch set?

**Top up a prepaid balance in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, send the exact amount, click I've sent the payment, and the top-up is matched by its exact amount and credited once confirmed.** The minimum is $25. A treasury, multisig or founder wallet can send it, and no officer has to upload an ID: the only contact data is one email address per domain, verified as ICANN rules require and kept private. Registration usually happens usually within minutes of the top-up being credited, and if a domain cannot be registered (taken in the meantime, refused by the registry), the full amount goes back to your balance. The multisig flow is in [how to pay for domains from a DAO treasury](https://wardmint.com/pay-for-domains-with-usdc/ "How to pay for domains from a DAO treasury in USDC or USDT").

## Which numbers should a launch team remember?

According to Wardmint's survey of 12 November 2026, each of the six launch extensions costs less than Namecheap's regular renewal price: .com $19.98 there against $12.49 here, and .finance $92.98 against $60.49. Median across all 29 extensions: 33% under.

A token launch set is the short list of names a project registers before it announces a token. The launch set at Wardmint holds six names and costs $195.94 a year. Phishers register their own domains: 77% of the phishing domains in Interisle's 2025 report were maliciously registered.

## Questions about launch domains

### How early should I register the domains?

As soon as the name is final and before any public mention, ideally 6 to 8 weeks before launch. A name seen in a deck or a repository can be copied before you announce it.

### Do I need a trademark first?

No for registration. Yes for a UDRP complaint, which needs rights in a mark. Register first, then decide whether a mark is worth filing.

### Should the token name and the project name both be registered?

Yes, if they differ. Treat each as its own brand and register the core extensions for both.

### Can I register under a pseudonym?

Wardmint collects one verified email per domain and no ID. The registrant of record is you, or DomaineGoat LLC if you add Domain protection at +$29 a year.

**In summary**

- Launch set: .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance, .network.
- It costs $195.94 a year, $587.82 over 3 years, the same price at renewal.
- Register 6 to 8 weeks before the announcement, then lock and redirect every name.
- Use the no-email template and URL forwarding on unused names.
- Pay in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC; minimum top-up $25; one verified email per domain, no ID.
- A WIPO UDRP costs USD 1,500 and needs a mark; registration needs none.
- Median 33% under Namecheap's regular renewal on 12 November 2026.

## Sources

1. [WIPO UDRP fee schedule](https://www.wipo.int/en/web/amc/domain-name-disputes/fees) — WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (read 2026-11-12)
2. [Interisle Phishing Landscape 2025, press release](https://interisle.net/press/pl2025-press-release) — Interisle Consulting Group (read 2026-11-12)
3. [Namecheap regular renewal prices, domainoffer.net listing](https://domainoffer.net/tld/com/namecheap) — domainoffer.net (read 2026-11-12)

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Wardmint: Wardmint registers the defensive domains a crypto project needs — its own name across the extensions phishers use, its own typo and look-alike variants — paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, only one verified email per domain. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama; domains are registered through its ICANN-accredited registrar partner. A .com costs $12.49/year, the same price every year.