What is .institute?
.institute entered the DNS root zone on December 28, 2013, 12 years ago. It came out of ICANN's New gTLD Program, the 2012 application round that grew the root from 22 generic TLDs to well over a thousand.
Binky Moon, LLC operates a large portfolio of 196 TLDs, including .academy, .accountants, .agency, .apartments and .associates.
On the technical side, .institute is served by 6 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .institute, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over RDAP.
Same registry, other endings
195 other TLDs share this operator.
.institute FAQ
What does .institute mean?
.institute is a generic top-level domain named for the word "institute", and it's aimed at education & research. It doesn't belong to any country.
What is .institute used for?
.institute is mostly used for education & research. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .institute?
None. .institute is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .institute domain extension?
Binky Moon, LLC operates .institute as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .institute created?
.institute was delegated to the DNS root zone on December 28, 2013.
Is .institute a valid domain?
Yes. .institute is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2013, so .institute addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .institute domain?
.institute names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Binky Moon, LLC's policy if you're unsure.
Is .institute DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .institute.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 7, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
