ME News reports that on April 29 (UTC+8), according to monitoring by Beating, Anguilla—a British overseas territory in the Caribbean with a population of 15,000—has become one of the most unexpected beneficiaries of the AI boom due to its ownership of the .ai country code top-level domain. In 2025, .ai domain registrations and renewals generated approximately 230 million East Caribbean dollars (about $85 million USD) for Anguilla, accounting for roughly 47% of government revenue and ranking alongside tourism as the largest fiscal source. In 2018, this revenue was only $2.9 million, representing less than 4% of the budget. The turning point came with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. .ai revenue surged to $32 million in 2023, $39 million in 2024, and doubled again in 2025. The 2025 spike was further amplified by a structural factor: .ai domains require a minimum two-year registration period; registrations that flooded in during 2023 reached their first renewal cycle in 2025, with a renewal rate of approximately 90%, meaning the same group of users contributed twice within two years. In January this year, an average of 2,080 new .ai domains were registered globally per day—roughly one every 43 seconds—with the total reaching approximately 1.1 million. In October 2024, Anguilla signed a five-year revenue-sharing agreement with U.S.-based domain registrar Identity Digital, securing the larger share of proceeds. In February, bot.ai was sold on the marketplace Sedo for $1.2 million—the first publicly recorded seven-figure transaction for a .ai domain. The previous record was $750,000 for wisdom.ai. However, compared to AI.com’s $70 million sale price, the highest recorded .ai domain price is still less than 2% of that value. Several domain investors believe .ai is largely a secondary choice when .com is unavailable, and its premium value remains tightly tied to the capital cycle of the AI industry. Former Anguillan Prime Minister Ellis Webster repeatedly warned before leaving office: “You can’t predict how long this will last; the economy and projects cannot rely entirely on it.” Currently, .ai revenues are primarily used to repay national debt, expand the airport, invest in renewable energy, and fund free healthcare. If these funds are channeled into infrastructure and debt repayment, the investments will remain valuable even after the boom fades; but if they are absorbed into recurring expenditures, the fiscal impact when the tide recedes could be severe. (Source: BlockBeats)
The Caribbean island of Anguilla earns 47% of its government revenue from .ai domain sales.
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Summary
The Caribbean island of Anguilla, home to 15,000 residents, derives 47% of its government revenue from .ai domain sales. In 2025, domain income reached 230 million East Caribbean dollars ($85 million), fueled by growth in the AI industry. The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 triggered a surge in demand for .ai domains, with 2,008 new registrations per day in January 2026. A 2024 agreement with Identity Digital enhanced liquidity and supported crypto markets. Anguilla’s .ai strategy aligns with CFT measures to ensure transparent domain-related transactions.
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