What is .skype?
Brand TLDs operate under Specification 13 of ICANN's registry agreement. It lets a trademark owner keep every second-level name for itself, so you won't find .skype names for sale at any registrar.
ICANN's records put the delegation of .skype on June 23, 2015. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on December 18, 2014.
Microsoft Corporation also runs 7 other TLDs, including .azure, .bing, .hotmail, .microsoft and .office.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 8 name servers for .skype, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .skype haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP.
Same registry, other endings
7 other TLDs share this operator.
.skype FAQ
What country is .skype?
None. .skype is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .skype domain extension?
Microsoft Corporation operates .skype as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .skype created?
.skype was delegated to the DNS root zone on June 23, 2015.
Is .skype a valid domain?
Yes. .skype is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2015, so .skype addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .skype domain?
No. .skype is a brand TLD under ICANN Specification 13, so names are reserved for Microsoft Corporation.
Is .skype DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .skype.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed February 7, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.