Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek has spent big on a simple idea: own the cleanest address in the AI space. He bought AI.com for $70 million, in what’s being reported as the largest publicly disclosed domain sale to date.
A record domain deal, paid entirely in crypto
The purchase was completed entirely in cryptocurrency, which made the transaction part branding statement and part proof-of-capital.
At $70 million, the price jumps past the well-known domain sales people still reference (like CarInsurance.com). It resets expectations for what a category-defining name can cost when a trend is peaking.
A Super Bowl launch aimed at regular consumers
Marszalek’s plan was to introduce AI.com during Super Bowl week, pitching it as a consumer product built around a “personal AI agent” that helps with everyday tasks.
The timing wasn’t subtle. Super Bowl week is when attention is most expensive, and a short, memorable domain is designed to convert that attention into direct traffic.
The rollout stumbled when the spotlight hit
The catch is that hype only helps if the site holds up. Reports around the Super Bowl ad said AI.com struggled with availability under heavy traffic, which undercuts the whole “simple, trusted front door” concept.
Buying the best address on the internet gets people to click once. Keeping them there is the harder part.
