In the past couple of days, there have been numerous articles about Anguilla’s .AI ccTLD. I wrote about the InterNetX article, but several mainstream publications have subsequently written about the windfall .AI domain names have produced for the Caribbean nation of Anguilla.
Fortune and Ars Technica each published articles discussing the growth of .AI domain names. Importantly, the revenue from .AI domain name registrations and renewals has become a key economic driver for the nation. With the growth of ChatGPT and AI startup funding in general, many startups have turned to .AI domain names. Companies have registered .AI domain names, and I am sure domain investors have also registered .AI domain names with the hopes of reselling them.
According to the Fortune article, there are nearly 300,000 registered .AI domain names. The estimated revenue generated from .AI domain names has nearly tripled from what Anguilla expected to receive from .AI domain names in 2023. Here’s an excerpt about that from the article:
“Anguilla brought in $7.4 million from .ai domain registrations in 2021, according to public records, and previously estimated it would receive $8.3 million from domain registrations in 2023. Now Cate estimates Anguilla will bring in between $25 million and $30 million this year.”
The article reported that this amount is nearly a quarter of the recurring revenue the country expected to receive in 2023. What a nice windfall for Anguilla and its residents.
I don’t believe the country of Anguilla directly benefits from aftermarket domain name sales, unless they have a connection with expiry auction platforms. However, when a company pays a substantial amount of money for a .AI domain name in the aftermarket, I presume there is a greater chance of renewing the domain name, and a large percentage of the renewal cost is distributed to Anguilla from domain registrars.
I don’t know how long the .AI extension will see growth, but it’s neat to see the impact domain names are having on a small country like Anguilla.
