I missed the boat on .AI domain names. With very few exceptions – and perhaps to my detriment – I don’t generally like to try and acquire domain names in alternative extensions that are popular. For instance, I am pretty sure I never owned a .ME, .LY, or .IO domain name despite their trendiness at various points in time. I also haven’t owned a .AI domain name either. Maybe that will change this year.
According to NameBio, there were $5.5 million in publicly reported .AI domain name sales in 2023. This amount will likely increase as sales reports from the final couple of weeks of 2023 will be reported and recorded. In 2022, the sales volume was just under $900k. In 2021, the volume was $1.2m.
Based on the upward trajectory of publicly reported .AI domain name sales, it seems plausible that 2024 will see even more .AI domain name sales. If I could predict the future with any certainty, I would have bought .AI domain names a few years ago!
With the new year beginning and already $360k in reported .AI sales from the .AI expiry auction, I would like to know if you think there will be $10 million or more in publicly reported .AI domain name sales. I posted a poll on Twitter and will set a reminder to see what happens in a year from now.
In 2023 – prior to the final sales trickling in to @NameBio, there were ~$5.5m in .AI domain name sales. In 2022, the total was under $1m. Do you think there will be $10m+ in publicly reported .AI sales in 2024?
— Elliot Silver (@DInvesting) January 2, 2024
8 million maybe but I could be wrong.
You already missed the .Ai boat.
10.5 million usd
and 2 reported 7 figure AI sales
.COM will still rule
Look for well-funded startups to rebrand from GET____.com or TRY____.app or My____.app to
.AI and AI____.com and …….ai.com
2024 also will be the year of the myriad BOTs as many will launch but maybe only 20 percent will gain traction… will they use ___.bot or ……bot.com …. or both?
Could even see some 5 figure .BOT sales in 2024?
How can you park well-funded startup domain names without a trademark lawsuit occuring? for example “TRYCOSTCO.COM” , Wouldn’t they just hold the rights to it?
I can’t imagine any case where a well-funded startup would use the url “TRYCOSTCO.COM” or “TRYNVIDIA.COM”
but many will use domains like “TRYVISION.IO or “GETALBUM.APP” — i.e, reflecting their brands are VISION and ALBUM, albeit with low quality domains/urls so they can opt to get “Vision” and “Album” in the best extension that they can afford, including the old standby, as last resort, “MYALBUM.COM and MYVISION.COM — and these won’t be cheap
If they are really humming and have ample funding and revenues, and they can afford the .com, hey, go get it — stellar domain and brand — and a domain that will just go up in value
As far as getting good .AI domains now, those horses already left their barns
It will take top dollar to wrangle one from an owner, but a good horse trader will find a way
I picked up about 60 super .Ai domains in 2015, or thereabouts when almost every good keyword was avail to register … why not 600? because I was too fearful of being reckless with my wallet.