AI.com and the $70 Million Domain Name Sale That Redefines the Market

PALM BEACH, FL – The reported $70 million sale of AI.com is now the highest publicly disclosed domain transaction in history, surpassing the $30 million sale of Voice.com in 2019. On the surface, that headline alone would make this a notable event in the domain industry. But the significance of this deal extends well beyond the price.

The buyer of AI.com is Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, who is expected to use the domain as the centerpiece of a new consumer-focused artificial intelligence platform that will be introduced in a Super Bowl advertisement. While many initial reports framed this as a Crypto.com-related move, industry observers note that the purchase appears to have been made personally by Marszalek rather than by the company itself, suggesting a longer-term, founder-driven investment rather than a corporate rebranding or marketing initiative.

Comparable founder-driven domain acquisitions have occurred in the past. Elon Musk, for example, personally reacquired X.com years after selling the original company that bore the name, later positioning it as the core identity of what became X.

Unlike many high-profile domain sales that occur privately or through back-channel negotiations, the AI.com transaction was brokered by Larry Fischer of GetYourDomain.com, one of the most experienced and recognizable figures in the high-end domain brokerage space.

Fischer has been involved in a number of major domain transactions over the years and is widely known for representing sellers of ultra-premium names. In this case, his involvement adds an additional layer of credibility and transparency to the deal. Long before the sale was finalized, Fischer suggested that AI.com had the potential to “shatter previous records and even reach nine figures,” anticipating the record price long before the sale price was known.

AI.com is not merely a premium brandable asset. It is a category-defining address that corresponds directly to one of the most important technological movements of the past decade. In the same way that Cars.com, Hotels.com, or Weather.com function as intuitive digital destinations for their respective industries, AI.com occupies a singular position as the most obvious possible web address associated with artificial intelligence.

For years, short dictionary-word .COM domains have been viewed as some of the most valuable pieces of internet real estate, but AI.com represents an even rarer subset: a two-letter domain that aligns perfectly with a global technology trend. As a result, its value has likely been influenced not only by traditional domain market dynamics but also by broader perceptions of AI’s future economic and cultural impact.

The timing and nature of the sale also carry implications for ongoing discussions about domain extensions. Over the past several years, many AI startups and technology companies have adopted .AI domains, arguing that the country-code extension for Anguilla has effectively become a new default for artificial intelligence branding.

However, the decision to acquire AI.com rather than relying on a .AI or alternative extension reinforces the continued dominance of .COM for companies pursuing large-scale, mainstream positioning. While .AI domains have gained popularity within the tech sector, this transaction suggests that when a buyer has both the resources and ambition to secure the most authoritative digital identity in a category, .COM remains the preferred choice.

Marszalek has indicated that AI.com will be introduced to the public through a Super Bowl advertisement, placing the brand in front of one of the largest television audiences in the world. Details about the exact functionality of AI.com remain limited, but early reporting indicates that the platform may focus on helping users create and manage personal AI agents capable of interacting with applications, handling digital tasks, and assisting with various forms of decision-making. If successful, AI.com could position itself as a centralized interface for AI tools, rather than competing directly with individual services such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude.

Another notable aspect of the deal is that it was reportedly completed using cryptocurrency, a detail that has drawn attention within both the domain and digital asset communities. While the use of crypto did not appear to be the central motivation for the purchase, it does highlight the increasing intersection between high-value digital assets and blockchain-based payment methods.

For domain brokers and sellers, the transaction may also serve as a reminder that non-traditional payment structures can play a role in major deals, particularly when buyers come from the crypto or fintech sectors.

Beyond its immediate headlines, the AI.com sale is likely to influence how ultra-premium domains are valued going forward. By more than doubling the previous public record for a domain sale, the transaction establishes a new benchmark for top-tier digital assets.

At present, most of the attention surrounding AI.com focuses on the unprecedented sale price. Over time, however, the true significance of this deal will likely be judged by what is built on the domain rather than the amount paid for it.

If AI.com emerges as a major consumer AI platform, the transaction may be remembered as a strategic acquisition that helped shape how people interact with artificial intelligence online. If not, it may be viewed more as an example of peak-market enthusiasm.

For now, what is clear is that AI.com represents one of the most consequential domain purchases in internet history, one that sits at the crossroads of branding, technology, and digital real estate, and one that was shepherded to completion by one of the industry’s most prominent brokers.

Although Marszalek has said he acquired AI.com in April 2025, the deal remained under wraps until early 2026, when he publicly disclosed the purchase in connection with plans to launch a consumer AI platform around the Super Bowl. According to DN Journal, John Mauriello of DomainAssets.com represented the buyer in the AI.com transaction.

John Colascione

About The Author: John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of SEARCHEN NETWORKS®. He specializes in Website Monetization, is a Google AdWords Certified Professional, authored a how-to book called ”Mastering Your Website‘, and is a key player in several online businesses.