Anguilla’s AI Domain Boom Generates Tens of Millions in Government Revenue
The small Caribbean island of Anguilla, with a population under 16,000, has emerged as a significant financial beneficiary of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom—not by developing AI technology itself, but through its country code top-level domain (ccTLD), .ai.
Assigned the .ai domain code in 1995, Anguilla has seen extraordinary demand for its digital asset as AI technologies and companies surge worldwide. The rise of popular AI tools like ChatGPT since late 2022 has greatly accelerated this trend, fueling a digital gold rush among startups, investors, and tech giants seeking .ai web addresses to align their brands with the thriving AI narrative.
Massive Revenue from .ai Domains
In 2023 alone, Anguilla reportedly earned approximately US $32 million from registrations and renewals of .ai domains, which constituted more than 20% of the country’s total government revenue. This marks a dramatic increase compared to just five years earlier, when domain revenue was around $2.9 million. For 2024, the government projects revenue to rise further to $39 million, and estimates for 2025 and beyond suggest a potential climb to nearly $48 million or more.
The pricing for .ai domain registrations is around $140 for a two-year period, with renewal rates estimated near 90%, emphasizing both lucrative initial sales and a sustainable recurring income stream. Many companies continue to maintain their .ai domains due to the growing significance of artificial intelligence across industries.
Economic Impact and Future Outlook
For Anguilla, which is not known for large-scale industrial or technological sectors, this income is transformative. The funds from .ai domain revenues are anticipated to support major national projects, including a $175 million airport development featuring a new terminal and expanded runway to bolster connectivity and economic resilience.
Industry analysts suggest that monthly revenues could escalate from about $3 million currently to $6 million as renewal cycles stabilize and more enterprises enter the AI domain market. With over 600,000 .ai domains registered worldwide by early 2025—up from 50,000 in 2018—demand shows no signs of slowing amid rapid AI adoption.
Global AI Popularity Drives Local Prosperity
The demand for .ai domains has been spurred heavily by the mainstream breakthrough of AI innovations such as ChatGPT, which reached 100 million monthly active users within two months of its November 2022 launch—the fastest adoption of any consumer application to date.
Tech giants like Google have also leveraged .ai domains to showcase their AI-focused services, further entrenching this top-level domain’s value in the technology landscape.
Anguilla’s unique position highlights how geopolitical digital identifiers can become unexpectedly valuable assets in the era of tech disruptions, enabling even small nations to participate lucratively in emerging global markets.
Sources cited include government budget documents from Anguilla, domain registration data, and industry analyses from 2023 and early 2025.