AI.com Acquired for $70 Million by Kris Marszalek

Deal Overview 

Kris Marszalek, founder and CEO of Crypto.com, has acquired the AI.com domain for $70 million. Multiple outlets describe this as the largest public disclosed domain transaction in history. According to the Financial Times, the transaction was confirmed by broker Larry Fischer of GetYourDomain.com. Moreover, the $70 million was paid entirely in cryptocurrency to an undisclosed seller. 

The price also breaks the previous public records for domain sales. Earlier headline deals, such as CarInsurance.com at $49.7 million and VacationRentals.com at $35 million, were all below this level. Although Cars.com has at times been described as more valuable on company balance sheets, that figure reflected accounting treatment rather than an open market sale. 

Strategic Context

Marszalek launched Crypto.com in 2016. The company has since grown into one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, reportedly generating $1.5 billion in annual revenues and serving more than 150 million retail users. In 2021, Crypto.com signed a $700 million multi decade naming rights deal for the Los Angeles arena. It’s now known as Crypto.com Arena, reflecting a strategy of high visibility branding. 

The AI.com purchase appears to follow a similar playbook. In 2018, Marszalek reportedly paid $12 million for the Crypto.com domain. This move was initially questioned but later viewed as foundational to the company’s brand dominance. Recently, Crypto.com now attracts roughly 100 million visits per year, benefiting from organic search positioning. 

Marszalek told the Financial Times that taking a “10 to 20 years” view, AI represents “one of the greatest technological waves of our lifetime”. He also stated, “There is a big desire for us to own this touchpoint, otherwise you get commoditised”. 

Product and Launch 

AI.com is positioned as a consumer-facing platform centred on autonomous AI agents. Users will be able to generate a private AI agent capable of performing delegated tasks, such as sending messages, using apps, trading stocks. Moreover, agents will operate in secure environments with user-specific encryption keys. 

The platform is set to debut with a commercial during the Super Bowl. It’s reported that traffic following the Super Bowl ad was so strong that the website went offline for several hours. It reflects significant initial interest. 

Marszalek described the long-term vision as “a decentralized network of billions of agents who self-improve and share these improvements,” accelerating the path toward AGI. 

Market Reaction and Scepticism 

Despite the scale of the investment, reactions within the crypto community have been mixed. Moreover, there’s scepticism among commentators, with concerns ranging from distrust in leadership to fears that AI.com could be tied to another token launch.  Although the $70 million was paid entirely in cryptocurrency, some critics questioned the transparency of funding mechanisms. 

Others see the move as a calculated bet on digital real estate and long-term SEO dominance. As broker Fischer stated, “With assets like AI.com, there are no substitutes”. 

Conclusion 

The $70 million acquisition of AI.com represents a decisive strategic expansion beyond crypto into artificial intelligence. Whether the investment mirrors the branding success of Crypto.com remains to be seen. However, he paid $70 million for the domain, with his company generating about $1.5 billion in annual revenue and serving more than 150 million users. In the past, he also committed $700 million to secure stadium naming rights.