Name: Andriy Khvetkevych
Company: NicNames Inc. (NicNames.com) — also founder of NIC.UA & Jexi.com
Favorite Domain: NicNames.com — it’s not just our company domain; it represents the mission we’re building.
Favorite Industry Conference: After attending the ICA Annual Meeting, it became my favorite. I also really enjoyed Domain Summit—very efficient and genuinely interesting. And I’m a big fan of the CloudFest format in Germany.
Favorite Industry Blog(s):
Domain Name Wire (DNW)
What is your current role and what are you (or your company) currently working on?
I’m the CEO of NicNames.com and the founder of NIC.UA. Right now, we’re building and expanding NicNames internationally, and we’re also working on a decentralized, on-chain RSP concept—designed to be ICANN-accredited and fully aligned with ICANN rules, while using blockchain as the underlying ledger.
Tell us a little bit about your background and your personal story.
I’ve been in the domain industry since 2001. While I was in college, I built what became one of the first real online stores in Ukraine for my employer. Registering domains for that project is what pulled me into this industry—and I quickly realized domain names were valuable digital assets.
After that, I launched my first company as a web hosting provider, which was later acquired by a corporation. A few years after that exit, we launched NIC.UA, which grew into the largest registrar in Ukraine.
When the war began in Ukraine in 2022, my team and I made the decision to launch NicNames.com for the international market. We had the expertise, the operational discipline, and the long-term vision—and it felt like the right moment to build globally.
A fun detail: in Ukraine, to register a .UA domain you typically need a trademark. Instead of outsourcing that work forever, I became a patent attorney myself so I could fully understand and streamline that process.
Outside business, I’m also a competitive athlete: I became a national record holder in freediving (first for Ukraine, and later in the U.S.). Competitions paused due to COVID and then the war, but I plan to return to competing when things stabilize.
How did you get involved in the domain industry?
It started in 2001 when I registered my first domain while building a website project as a student. That “first registration” moment made me realize domains are more than technical settings—they’re identity, brand, and digital property.
What have been some key milestones in your career in the domain industry?
- Entered the domain/hosting space in 2001 and launched my first company (web hosting provider), later acquired.
- Founded and scaled NIC.UA into the largest registrar in Ukraine.
- Helped launch and grow additional second-level zones such as .biz.ua, .co.ua, .pp.ua (still active and generating revenue).
- Expanded internationally with NicNames.com after 2022, bringing Ukrainian domain expertise to a global market.
- Began building a next-generation vision: ICANN-compliant infrastructure with on-chain transparency.
Why did you choose to support the ICA?
Trusted colleagues—including friends from D3, Identity Digital, and others already involved—recommended it. After my first ICA meeting, I immediately saw the value. It’s a strong, influential association, and the community is genuinely high-quality.
Can you share a prediction about the future of the domain industry?
I believe domains will grow even more important—especially with the rise of AI. In an automated world, everything needs naming: AI agents, services, identities, and digital assets. Domains were built for naming, and they’re already evolving beyond IP resolution (wallet resolution is a great example).
In the future, domains will increasingly resolve identities, wallets, agents, and assets—and become the simplest “entry point” into the AI + Web3 world.
What do you like most about the domain industry?
It’s stable, global, and endlessly interesting. We’re working with the original “internet real estate”—and real estate tends to grow in value. Domains are not just the real estate of the internet, but increasingly the real estate of the AI era and blockchain-connected world.
If you could change one thing about the domain industry, what would it be?
I would move core registration and transaction history on-chain.
Blockchain isn’t only about crypto or NFTs—its real power is preserving an immutable history that can’t be faked or quietly altered. That improves transparency, strengthens trust, and reduces reliance on external escrow-style structures—because the ledger itself becomes the source of truth.
With AI accelerating both innovation and attacks on traditional systems, having critical data secured with an immutable history becomes even more important.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges the domain industry is faced with?
One of the biggest challenges is still education: many people don’t fully understand what domains can be.
Domains can evolve into identity—like usernames—across platforms and ecosystems. They can point not only to websites, but also to wallets, applications, AI agents, and more. The opportunity is huge, but it requires the market to see domains as more than “just a website address.”
What do you wish other people knew about ICA?
That ICA is not just a membership—it’s a powerful connector for the industry. It brings serious companies together, builds relationships that matter, and creates a place where collaboration becomes natural.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining the ICA?
If you do business in domains—registrars, registries, investors, service providers—join it. The value is real. The people are friendly, the environment feels like a community, and it’s truly international. You’ll benefit from the connections and the shared influence.
What unexpected doors opened for you because of your involvement in the domain industry?
The domain industry taught me something practical: if a door looks closed, you can often open it by simply knocking—building relationships, showing results, and staying persistent. Being a registrar CEO and entrepreneur in this space has shown me that with the right mindset and execution, a lot more is possible than people assume.
What’s the best advice ever received (domain related or otherwise)?
Never stop—and never give up. And if you think it’s “too late” to start something, it usually just means you don’t truly want it yet. If you do want it, it’s never too late!
What are your main interests outside of the domain industry?
Freediving is a huge part of my life—I’m a national record holder and competitive athlete (Ukraine and later the U.S.). I’m also exploring underwater rugby this year.
I love emerging technology: VR (including Apple Vision Pro), Web3, AI, and automation—anything that pushes what’s possible.
Favorite place to get away
I’m a world traveler, so I don’t have just one favorite place. I’ve flown over 1.2 million miles in the last 10 years, and different places are perfect for different moods.
- For incredible food and beaches: Thailand
- For retreats and deep nature: Bali
- For something new: anywhere I haven’t been yet — and at the top of my list is India.
Anything else you’d like to share? We’re actively building NicNames and exploring opportunities in blockchain-based registry infrastructure. Also, we’re building Jexi.com, a company brain focused on client relationships that can answer clients’ questions about any problems in any language using internal tools. ICA members who want to try to use Jexi or learn more about our vision can reach out directly.