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Anguilla, a British overseas territory with a population under 16,000, has emerged as a rising tech and finance beneficiary by monetizing its internet country-code top-level domain, “.ai,” which the island has owned since the 1980s. The shift accelerated after ChatGPT helped trigger a global wave of interest in artificial intelligence in late 2022, turning the two-letter domain into a highly sought-after digital asset.
In the internet’s country-code system, each territory is assigned a distinct code—for example, Vietnam uses “.vn” and the U.S. uses “.us.” Anguilla’s code is “.ai,” which attracted limited attention for decades. That changed as the AI boom made the domain name increasingly valuable to startups and major technology firms.
According to The Week and TechRadar, by early January 2026 the number of “.ai” domain registrations surpassed 1 million, triple the level seen in 2023. The rapid growth has transformed a relatively obscure internet identifier into a major revenue stream.
Anguilla’s Ministry of Finance data show that revenue from new “.ai” domain sales totaled 86.83 million EC (about 32 million USD) in 2023. By 2025, the figure had risen to 230.5 million EC (about 85.3 million USD). The article notes that this revenue represented roughly half of the island’s total government budget in the most recent year.
A monthly breakdown for 2025 shows a strong upward trajectory. Revenue rose from 3.6 million USD in January to 8 million USD in April, remained elevated through the year, and peaked in August at 8.3 million USD. At the start of 2026, revenue continued to set records, reaching 25.5 million USD in January and 32.8 million USD in February.
Before the AI-driven domain surge, Anguilla relied heavily on tourism, which accounted for about 37% of its revenue. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the risks of a tourism-dependent economy.
Revenue from “.ai” domains has provided a more stable alternative. A key feature cited is the renewal rate, which stands at 90%. With an average annual fee of about USD 140 per domain, Anguilla’s domain business generates a steady cash flow that is less exposed to the same market swings affecting tourism.
Interest in “.ai” extends beyond startups. The article cites that major firms and organizations—including Google, Perplexity, and Elon Musk’s x.ai—are using “.ai” domains to signal their presence in the AI era. The involvement of large technology companies has helped push the domain’s value higher, making it an informal standard for companies seeking to align with artificial intelligence.
To manage the growing cash flow and professionalize the system, Anguilla’s government signed a memorandum of understanding with Identity Digital of the U.S. to oversee domain registrations for five years. After migrating to Identity Digital’s platform in January 2025, the article says the domain administration benefited from a more robust global registrar system designed to reduce cybersecurity risks and protect the credibility of the domain.
While Identity Digital charges a service fee, the article attributes improved operational professionalism to continued revenue growth.
The article places Anguilla’s outcome in the context of other country-code monetization examples, including Tuvalu’s “.tv” domain in the 1990s and the royalties it earned in 2018, as well as references to Montenegro’s “.me” and Colombia’s “.co.” It also quotes Ellis Webster, former prime minister of Anguilla, describing the windfall as “God’s smile for us.”
With the surge in revenue, the government is implementing social welfare and development measures. The article says part of the budget funds free medical care for citizens aged 70 and above, and that budgets for sports and cultural events have been doubled. It also reports that Anguilla plans to invest in renewables and upgrade infrastructure, including the international airport, citing the IMF’s notes on the island’s longer-term development plans.
Source: TechRadar, The Week
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