In a surprising twist, Anguilla, a tiny Caribbean island, has discovered a goldmine in .ai domain sales, raking in about $39 million in 2024 alone. Yep, that’s a whopping 23% of the island’s total government revenue. Who knew a dot in a web address could pack such a punch? Just a few years back, those .ai domains barely registered as a blip on the radar, contributing only about 5% to government income. Fast forward to 2023, and it skyrocketed to over 20%. Talk about a glow-up!
While tourism still reigns supreme, making up about 37% of Anguilla’s GDP, the surge in domain sales is a game-changer. It’s like finding a hidden treasure chest on a well-trodden beach. The government is not just sitting on this cash either; funds from .ai sales are being funneled into building hurricane-resilient structures and improving public services. Proceeds from .ai registrations are allocated for local development, and you can bet Anguilla is playing it well. The IMF highlights fiscal boost from internet domain sales, which speaks volumes about the potential of digital assets. The island’s timing couldn’t be better as Big Tech spending on AI is projected to reach $155 billion by 2025.
The surge in .ai domain sales is transforming Anguilla’s economy, funding vital infrastructure and hurricane-resilient projects.
The popularity of the .ai domain is hard to ignore. It went from a mere 40,600 registrations in January 2020 to a jaw-dropping 880,000 by September 2025. A particular spike occurred after the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, with registrations jumping from 144,000 to 354,000 in just one year. Suddenly, every tech entrepreneur wants a slice of this digital real estate. The .ai domain is the new black, and savvy business folks are paying top dollar for it. One domain even sold for $700,000!
Anguilla’s .ai domain is not just a random bunch of letters; it’s the official country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) that has effectively become a beacon for AI companies. It’s like the island found a golden goose, and they’re milking it for all it’s worth. Other small nations have done the same with their ccTLDs, and Anguilla is now riding that wave.
With a registration fee of $140, Anguilla’s pricing strategy is clearly working. People keep coming back for more. That’s the beauty of this whole setup—small jurisdictions can cash in on digital assets without needing to host massive tech companies. It’s a smart move, and Anguilla’s model shows there’s a place for islands in the global digital economy.
