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WATCH ONLINE: Baltic Domain Days 2025

The Baltic Domain Days 2025, held on October 7–8 in Tallinn, Estonia, brought together domain industry experts, policymakers, and IT professionals from across Europe.

Over 100 participants joined on-site and more than 300 tuned in online, proving once again that the Baltic region is a driving force in shaping the future of the internet.

The event was organized by the Estonian Internet Foundation, NIC.lv, and DOMREG.lt, with the support of ICANN and Blackwall.

A Place Where Ideas Meet Action

Baltic Domain Days is the largest domain industry event in the Baltics, serving as a meeting place for registries, registrars, hosting providers, and digital policymakers.
Its mission? To share knowledge, discuss emerging trends, and explore how to make the digital world safer, stronger, and more user-friendly.

This year’s program featured over 20 international speakers, lively panel discussions, and real-world insights from some of the industry’s most respected experts.

Regulation, Innovation, and Trust: The Core Themes

The 2025 edition focused on some of the most pressing issues shaping today’s internet infrastructure:

NIS2 Directive - the new EU cybersecurity framework redefining security requirements for the domain industry.
User validation - finding the right balance between security, trust, and simplicity for domain holders.
Cloud services - deciding whether to stay in-house or move to global cloud platforms.
AI and GDPR - understanding how artificial intelligence is transforming data protection and compliance.

NIS2 in Real Life: Secure Enough or Simple Enough?

One of the most talked about sessions was the panel “NIS2 in Real Life: Secure Enough or Simple Enough?”, moderated by Helen Aaremäe-Saar from the Estonian Internet Foundation.

Panelists Asta Mineike (EURid), Sascha Kämpf (DENIC), and Urmo Keskel (Phishbite) discussed how NIS2 is transforming the way domain registries handle security and user validation.

They explored some acute questions like how to make online verification both secure and user-friendly and in what ways does stronger regulation increase trust. But on the other hand the challenges it creates for business risks. Since the amount of users and validation in domain registries is huge, the panelists also explored the opportunities of automation and AI.

“In the future, we may only need to verify our identity once - a single trusted check that works across Europe. The real goal is balance: strong enough to protect, simple enough to use.”

To Cloud or Not to Cloud?

Another major highlight tackled one of today’s most strategic questions: “Should we move to the cloud or stay in-house?”

Panelists discussed Europe’s dependence on U.S. tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, and whether the Baltics are ready to rely on sovereign cloud solutions instead.

The discussion revealed both opportunities and risks: the cloud offers flexibility and power, but it also brings concerns about data sovereignty, political influence, and long-term resilience.

The Big Takeaway: Building a Digital Future on Trust

Throughout the two-day event, one theme kept coming up: trust. Trust begins with transparency and continues with secure, user-friendly systems that people can rely on.

As one participant put it, “Security doesn’t have to come at the cost of usability - the future belongs to solutions that combine both.”

Over the course of the event, hundreds of ideas were exchanged, new partnerships formed, and a shared vision emerged: a more resilient, open, and connected internet for everyone.

Missed It? Watch the Highlights Online

Couldn’t join us in Tallinn?You can still relive the best discussions, expert insights, and inspiring moments from Baltic Domain Days 2025 via out YouTube Channel:

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