The tiny Caribbean territory of Anguilla has seen a financial boom from its national internet domain, .ai, as the global rise of artificial intelligence drives demand for the country code.
HubSpot cofounder and CTO Dharmesh Shah confirmed he paid $700,000 to secure you.ai, his most expensive domain purchase in the extension. Shah, who also owns simple.ai, easy.ai, and chess.ai, told Business Insider he believes you.ai could be used for a product allowing people to create digital versions of themselves to carry out tasks.
While Shah has invested heavily in .ai, he remains cautious about its long-term potential. “Long-term, I think the interest is likely going to taper off. I think .com domains will end up holding their value better,” he said.
Interest in .ai domains has skyrocketed in recent years. Registrations surged from 40,000 in 2020 to 859,000 as of August 2025, according to Domain Name Stat. The International Monetary Fund reported that Anguilla earned $32 million from .ai registrations in 2023 alone.
Anguilla, a British overseas territory, has partnered with US-based firm Identity Digital to manage the influx of registrations since 2024. Officials have not yet commented on Shah’s purchase or the country’s outlook for .ai revenue.
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