In a landmark transaction that merges the frontiers of digital assets and artificial intelligence, Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek has secured the coveted AI.com domain for approximately $70 million. According to a February 2025 report by the Financial Times, this acquisition, paid for entirely in cryptocurrency, stands as one of the largest publicly disclosed domain sales ever recorded.
The $70 million price tag places AI.com among the most valuable domains ever sold, setting a new benchmark above previous high-profile sales like Voice.com ($30 million) and Insurance.com ($35.6 million). The transaction underscores the immense perceived value of the 'AI' namespace in the current technological landscape and signals a profound strategic pivot and substantial long-term wager on AI as the next defining technological wave.
Marszalek plans to leverage this digital real estate to launch a new, consumer-focused AI platform. The platform will reportedly feature an AI agent capable of handling messaging, operating applications, and even executing stock trades. Significantly, Marszalek intends to promote this new platform with a high-profile Super Bowl advertisement, demonstrating serious commitment and substantial backing for a major consumer launch aimed at mainstream adoption.
The use of cryptocurrency for the payment is particularly noteworthy. It demonstrates a seamless integration of Marszalek's crypto-native background with his forward-looking investment thesis and highlights the growing acceptance of digital currencies for major corporate and asset transactions. Industry analysts immediately recognized the strategic implications, with one domain brokerage expert noting that "acquiring AI.com provides instant brand authority and memorability in an increasingly crowded market."
Financial technology experts see this move as a logical evolution, with one analyst stating, "Marszalek is leveraging his success and capital from the crypto boom to position himself at the forefront of the next wave." The payment in cryptocurrency itself is a powerful statement that could encourage further institutional adoption of crypto for corporate treasury operations and acquisitions.
