Kris Marszalek, the co-founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, has acquired AI.com for $70M – the highest publicly disclosed price ever paid for a domain name.
The purchase price was confirmed by the deal’s broker, Larry Fischer of GetYourDomain.com.
Marszalek’s new venture, AI.com, is positioned as an artificial intelligence platform focused on bringing autonomous AI agents to mainstream users. Rather than relying on traditional chat-based interfaces, the company is building around personal AI agents designed to execute real-world tasks, workflows, and automated actions on behalf of users.
In an interview for Financial Times, Marszalek said the acquisition was driven by a long-term conviction that AI will define the next generation of technology.
Last year an opportunity came up for me to acquire this domain and I thought if you take a long-term view — 10 to 20 years — that [AI] is going to be one of the greatest technological waves of our lifetime. And so it would be a good investment.
Kris Marszalek, in an interview for Financial Times
AI.com is among the most valuable domain names in the world, not only because of its relevance to the AI industry, but because it belongs to one of the rarest categories of digital assets: a two-letter .com domain name. There are only 676 possible two-letter .com combinations, and very few correspond to a global industry term as commercially powerful and universally recognised as “AI.”
With assets like AI.com, there are no substitutes. When one becomes available, the opportunity may never present itself again.
Kris Marszalek, in an interview for Financial Times
The company is preparing to launch publicly alongside Super Bowl LX, using the domain name AI.com as a strategic advantage during one of the most watched media events in the world.
Marszalek has used a similar strategy recently. Just days before Super Bowl weekend, Crypto.com pushed its prediction-markets platform, OG, into the spotlight – a timing move designed to capitalise on peak attention and fast-moving conversation.
With AI.com, he is applying the same playbook on a much larger scale, arguing that owning the category-defining domain offers major business advantages in an increasingly crowded AI market.
In the interview with the Financial Times, Marszalek also shared there were “good business reasons” for paying such a high price. He added that he has been offered “an absolutely insane amount of money” for the domain, but believes keeping AI.com will strengthen trust and build awareness among prospective customers over the long term.
There is a big desire for us to own this touchpoint, otherwise you get commoditised.. I thought it was quite interesting that one person can own two domains that stand for such important categories.
Kris Marszalek, in an interview for Financial Times
Over the years, AI.com has redirected to some of the most influential AI companies and platforms in the world, including OpenAI, xAI, and DeepSeek. Now, it appears the domain name has found a long-term owner. This represents a rare advantage in a market where many AI startups launch with long brand names, non-.com extensions, or domain names that require explanation.
Using .com as part of the brand name has become a growing trend among companies securing strategic-grade domain names, such as Booking.com, Crypto.com, Wealth.com, Cars.com, Blockchain.com, Cats.com, Bitcoin.com, and Monday.com. This approach streamlines the customer journey, strengthens brand autonomy, reduces reliance on third-party platforms, increases organic traffic, and improves online visibility. For a company preparing to debut at one of the most watched media events in the world, this strategy provides an immediate, intuitive destination that strengthens recall, credibility, and direct navigation the moment interest spikes.
Launching with a high-value domain name signals serious ambition – a clear signal that the company intends to compete at the highest level in the AI industry.
The right domain name is an important consideration when it comes to building and protecting your brand. If you’re ready to take the next step and invest in a perfect domain name for your business, contact us to learn more about our available options and how we can help you get started.
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