gTLDGeneric top-level domain

About .softbank domains

Registry / sponsor: SoftBank Group Corp.

About .softbank domains

.SOFTBANK is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) delegated in the DNS root zone. The registry operator responsible for .SOFTBANK is listed by IANA as SoftBank Group Corp.. Anyone can typically register a .SOFTBANK name through an accredited registrar, subject to the registry’s registration policy and ICANN consensus policies.

SoftBank Group Corp. (ソフトバンクグループ株式会社, SofutoBanku Gurūpu Kabushiki gaisha) is a Japanese multinational investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services to customers in a multitude of markets and industries ranging from the internet to automation. With over $100 billion in capital at its onset, SoftBank's Vision Fund is the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund. Fund investors included sovereign wealth funds from countries in the Middle East. The company is known for the leadership of its controversial founder and largest shareholder Masayoshi Son. Its investee companies, subsidiaries and divisions, including several unprofitable unicorns, operate in robotics, artificial intelligence, software, logistics, transportation, biotechnology, robotic process automation, proptech, real estate, hospitality, broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, information technology, finance, media and marketing, and other areas. Among its international stockholdings are stakes in Arm (semiconductors), Alibaba (e-commerce), OYO Rooms (hospitality), WeWork (coworking) and Deutsche Telekom (telecommunications). SoftBank Corporation, its spun-out affiliate and former flagship business, is the third-largest wireless carrier in Japan, with 45.621 million subscribers as of March 2021. SoftBank was ranked in the 2025 Forbes Global 2000 list as the 130th largest public company in the world. The logo of SoftBank is based on the flag of the Kaientai, a naval trading company founded in 1865, near the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, by Sakamoto Ryōma. Although SoftBank does not affiliate itself to any traditional keiretsu, it has close ties with Mizuho Financial Group, its primary lender. On January 21, 2025, it was announced that Softbank, along with OpenAI, MGX, and Oracle, would launch what was announced to be an artificial intelligence infrastructure system in conjunction with the U.S. government, titled Stargate. The project is estimated to cost $500 billion. U.S. president Donald Trump stated that the infrastructure was developed to have American-made AI in the United States. The project will be funded over the course of the next four years.

Who can register .softbank domains?

Eligibility is defined by the registry operator and its registrars. Most gTLDs are open to anyone worldwide. Many ccTLDs are also open globally; some require local presence, citizenship, or trademark rights. Always confirm current policy with the registry or your registrar.

Registration restrictions

Character rules below follow common ICANN LDH conventions. Individual registries and registrars may impose extra eligibility, length, or residency rules.

Length
163 characters (label before .softbank)
Can use
Letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and hyphens (not first/last or consecutive in restricted cases)
Cannot use
Special characters (e.g. & # @) in standard LDH labels
IDNs
Varies by registry — check IDN support with the registry or your registrar

Features

Operational features (privacy, parking, protection) are registrar-level, not defined by the IANA root zone record.

registration Length
Typically 1–10 years (registry policy varies)
renewal Length
Typically 1–10 years (registry policy varies)
auto Renew
Depends on registrar settings
backorders
Registrar-dependent
transfers In
Supported for most ICANN gTLDs via Auth/EPP code; ccTLDs vary
transfers Out
Supported when the registry allows EPP transfers
transfer Lock
Supported on most gTLDs (clientTransferProhibited)
domain Privacy
Registrar WHOIS/RDAP privacy — not set by IANA
domain Protection
Registrar add-on
contact Updates
Supported via registrar

Registry information

Sponsor / manager
SoftBank Group Corp.
Registration services
http://softbank.com/
WHOIS server
whois.nic.softbank

Name servers

  • a.gmoregistry.net37.209.192.4 · 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:4
  • b.gmoregistry.net37.209.194.4 · 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:4
  • k.gmoregistry.net37.209.196.4
  • l.gmoregistry.net37.209.198.4 · 2001:dcd:4:0:0:0:0:4

Source: IANA Root Zone Database. View IANA delegation record. Registrar-specific rules (e.g. GoDaddy transfer policies) can differ from registry policy and are not scraped here. Cataloged 2026-07-21.