.Co domain registry nukes expired domain auctions

The registry will prohibit direct auctions when a .co domain expires. That removes a familiar bidding stage from the deletion lifecycle.

The official rationale will be framed as lifecycle hygiene. The structural effect is simpler: fewer aftermarket hands get a crack at names before they return to the pool.

Registrars lose a resale revenue layer they once treated as part of the expiration machinery. Marketplace operators lose a predictable supply line of .co inventory.

For owners, the signal is quiet but sharp: do not assume an expiring .co name will catch a bidding floor. Renewal is now the only clean retention path.

• Watch for registry language on direct auctions in upcoming registrar notices; third-party auction sites may try to fill the gap, but they cannot replace the registry-sanctioned moment.