- ‘.ai’ domain registrations are up 3x in three years, revenue is up 2x
- The top-level domain (TLD) is unique to the Caribbean island of Anguilla
- Anguilla plans to spend the revenue on critical infrastructure and sustainable projects
More than a million ‘.ai’ domains have now been registered as of early January 2026, largely driven by the ChatGPT-induced global AI boom, and it’s proving to be quite the money maker for Anguilla, a new report has found.
Research from Sherwood found the small British Overseas Territory has control over the ‘.ai’ domain as its country code, which it has now turned into a major revenue stream worth an estimated $70 million per year, or the equivalent of around 20-22% of the government’s total revenue.
Compared with 2023, the number of ‘.ai’ domain registrations has near tripled from 354,000, with revenue more than doubling from an estimated $32 million.
Anguilla is benefitting from the AI boom, but in a different way
At present, around 37% of the Caribbean island’s revenue comes from tourism, marking a considerable reliance on international travel – a factor that was heavily affected by COVID. However, this additional revenue worth around a fifth of the government’s income serves as an important extra to bolster finances.
The average ‘.ai’ domain costs $140 per year, but the most staggering figure is the domain’s 90% renewal rate, indicative of long-term stability for Anguilla on this front.
And it’s not just AI startups that are paying for Anguilla’s domains – Google, x.ai and Perplexity are also cashing in on the brand-boosting trend.
The International Monetary Fund noted that Anguilla isn’t the only Small Island Developing State to have benefitted from its uniquely positioned domain ownership. Tuvalu previously saw a rise in the 1990s for its ‘.tv’ domain.
IMF noted that Anguilla plans to invest its domain-related cash in long-term sustainable projects, such as renewable energy. Key infrastructure like its airport could also benefit from this strike of pure luck.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JUrboXdNaRLYVSTeKsZxy8-1920-80.jpg
Source link
