I’m, that’s an icann rule for launching new tlds. The early access period is always higher, then there are several other periods that happen before a tld gets to General availability.
This pricing structure is not just for .dev domains.
This pricing structure is not just for .dev domains.
It's generally a good idea to have some kind of auction for the reasons the parent comment mentions, as it is a more economically efficient way to allocate the limited namespace to those who want it the most.