The Domain That Outlived a Country
Summary
This episode explores the bizarre history of the .su top-level domain, which survived the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse to become a hub for cybercrime and nostalgia. The story centers on Alexei Soldatov, the physicist who registered .su and ran it independently for decades until the Kremlin charged him with theft, leading to his imprisonment. While Soldatov served time, ICANN announced .su’s phase-out, but he was recently released after paying a fine. The hosts also discuss SpaceX’s volatile IPO and the high cost of Valve’s new Steam Machine due to a global RAM shortage.
Topics discussed
Introduction: The .su domain and Alexei Soldatov
History of the .su TLD registration in 1990
The USSR collapse and the rise of .su as a haven
Criminal use of .su and the UGNazi hack
Soldatov's arrest and legal battle over .su
Soldatov's health, release, and domain retirement
SpaceX IPO, valuation, and Cursor acquisition
Sponsor segments: NordLayer, Shopify, Serval
Valve Steam Machine and SteamOS hardware
Proton layer, Linux gaming, and Apple's potential
GTA VI release date and pre-order details
Outro, website updates, and final ads
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