|
Andrew
Miller
President, ATM
Holdings, Inc.
Andrew
Miller is the President of ATM Holdings, Inc., and has
been a founder, investor, and advisor on many of the most
prominent category defining and exact match domain name
transactions of all time. These include Chat.com ($15.5m)
Rocket.com ($15m) Icon.com ($12m), Gold.com ($8.6m, A-Mark),
Club.com, Universal.com (NBC Universal), and Home.com
(Fairway). Andrew has overseen over $650m of premium domain
transactions over the past 28 years and advises Fortune 100
management teams, leading venture capital and private equity
firms, and some of the highest profile tech founders and
entrepreneurs, on buy and sell side domain name transactions.
Andrew also founded operating companies Creditcards.com and
InsuranceQuotes.com, market leaders which he built and
successfully exited. Andrew’s popular column Random
Sunday Thoughts can be seen at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-miller-2732964/
or www.ATMHoldings.com.
|
2025
was a very strong year for the most valuable exact
match and category defining domain assets. In the
first half of the year, I oversaw two 8-figure
domain transactions, as well as a $9.5m deal
and in 2025 overall, multiple 7 figure domain sales
and acquisitions. I thought that momentum
would just fly into the end of the year, but instead I
found the second half of 2025 filled with many
companies exercising overlying caution. Companies
seemed to have less urgency than I have recalled in
recent years. My theory is that it was likely a
combination of market factors, the state of the world,
political instability, crypto uncertainty, and
all the factors that go into the recipe related to
what drives strong deal flow. With that said it was
a record year, and I am confident that the
momentum carries into ‘26.
It
was also a year to remember forever as the mainstream
moment that AI “burst onto the scene”, the
most transformative technology change in our lifetime. Coupled
with that, I also was very surprised at the strength
of .ai domain transactions, and the momentum
they kept up in 2025. People know that I am a .com
truther and |
Andrew
Miller |
|
have
seen TLD's" du jour" come and go, but AI
names really held on strongly. It will be interesting
to see how that plays out going forward, but it is
noteworthy that many of the larger transactions I
have overseen in 2025 have been for businesses that
on-ramped with .ai and realized that owning and
upgrading to its .com was still strategically the
most important investment they must make.
For
2026, I predict we are going to see a mix of
two core events. The first is it is going to
be an epic year in technology, with
advancements unlike any we have seen in our lifetime.
Some examples of this include self-driving cars coming
“fast and furious”, to major cities all over the
UST. While there are pros and cons, the data on the
improved safety is staggering. There is a driving
fatality in the US every few seconds. That is
terrifying and if we can drastically improve that, I
am all for it. Another revelation will be the
growth of prediction markets, another industry
that has vaulted into everyday life, and in 2026, will
begin to move more on chain. The entrance of the
prediction market companies into sports betting and
sports betting ones into prediction, ensures that
pretty much anything can be bet on. I “predict”
that this will become a massive problem, for sports
leagues to people developing financial hardships from
gambling addiction, at levels unimaginable.
However,
it will not be a straight line for AI, but it will
certainly change everything in ways still to be
determined. I do expect a reset (what some call a
bubble bursting). There are a plethora of companies
that have raised capital in the AI space, too many in
certain sectors and they're not all going to make it,
because that's just how it works in the world of
startups. Based on both points, I believe there
will be a significant number of important large, high-profile.com
domain transactions, but also a lot of
domains that recycle over the next year or two as
there is a flushing out of those that will “keep on
keepin’ on” and those that succumb. That scenario
is a healthy one for the most valuable exact match and
category defining domain names, as it leads to
investment opportunities and more liquidity.
Andrew
Miller (left) and fellow super broker and friend Larry
Fischer
speaking at the 2025 NamesCon Global conference in
Miami in November
For
the highest value .com domains, I wonder if this is
the year that sees a higher percentage of
CEO's/Founders understand that owning the exact
match brand .com or category defining domain for
their industry is, as proven in thousands of use
cases, the single most important and performing
investment they can make. Will more start to see
this or will it continue to be a game of "those
that do and those that don't”? As always, I am
excited for the year ahead. In the domain asset
business, day to day excitement has never waned once
for me. |
|
Arif
Sengoren
Founder
& CEO, SecretBrokerage.com
Arif
Sengoren has racked up millions of dollars worth
of domain sales in the 13 years since he entered the
domain business. After his career shifted into high
gear with a multi-year stint at Frank Schilling's
Uniregistry brokerage, Arif set up his own show at
SecretBrokerage.com in 2020 where he has continued to
thrive and expand an ever growing client base.
|
In
2025, many of the trends I
anticipated in the 21st annual State
of the Industry cover story
materialized. We saw record-breaking
.ai sales, continued strength across
select non-.com extensions, the
emergence of new marketplaces,
and a deeper integration of AI
into both the domain industry and
everyday life.
While .com
maintained its long-established
dominance — with a few notable .org
exceptions — 2025 will clearly be
remembered as a breakout year for .ai.
At the same time, solid transactions
continued across other extensions,
reinforcing the importance of quality
over category.
From
a business perspective, it was a strong
year for SecretBrokerage.com,
with participation in several
acquisitions of premium assets such as Blockchain.ai and Ai.tv,
alongside additional transactions
announced throughout the year. These
deals reflected sustained end-user
demand rather than speculative momentum. |
Arif
Sengoren
|
|
One of the
most interesting developments was the
closing of what I previously described
as a “marketplace gap.” Several new
platforms entered the space, bringing
fresh approaches to marketing, pricing,
and selling domains — many of them
powered by AI. Beyond a few copycats,
most of these entrants introduced
genuinely improved landing experiences,
more transparent data, AI-assisted
valuation models, and increasingly
competitive commission structures. While
crypto adoption remains limited, its
presence continues to grow
incrementally.
Today,
artificial intelligence is no longer a
game changer — the game has already
changed, and there is no way back.
While AI will continue to shape nearly
every industry, I expect 2026 to be a
year of correction, particularly
within the .ai domain market. I believe
2026 will be a defining year for .ai
domains. The question is not whether the
extension disappears — but whether it
matures. Unlike many alternative
extensions that failed to sustain
relevance in the past, .ai has become
closely tied to a real and growing
industry. That said, a market correction
feels inevitable, and investors should
be prepared for a more selective,
fundamentals-driven environment.
A
correction, however, does not slow innovation.
Quite the opposite. With AI dramatically
lowering the barrier to building
products, services, and websites,
individuals without technical
backgrounds can now create tools that
once required full development teams. As
a result, I expect to see an increasing
number of niche platforms, services,
and data-driven tools built for the
domain industry — many of which
will replace workflows we previously
outsourced or accepted as manual.
We
first met Arif Sengoren shortly after he
entered the business with Nokta Domains,
snapping
this shot of him and Nokta colleague
Merve Engin at the 2013 TRAFFIC
Conference in Las Vegas.
At
SecretBrokerage, we are preparing for
this environment by focusing even more
on our own fundamentals: happy clients,
data and experience driven work with
realistic pricing strategies. In a
correcting market, advisory-driven
brokerage becomes more important than
volume-driven sales.
As
competition among marketplaces continues
to intensify, differentiation has
become increasingly difficult.
Beyond registration-path sales,
commission-driven pricing, and landing
page improvements, I believe
marketplaces will need to introduce more
creative tools and alternative sales
models. This is especially true for
lower-priced domains, where traditional
listing approaches often fall short.
Concepts such as domain rentals,
structured usage rights, or even
controlled exchanges could unlock new
liquidity. Marketplaces that
successfully innovate in this area will
meaningfully expand their share of the
market.
From
the brokerage side, I see that
marketplaces remain effective for
liquidity, but complex negotiations,
alternative deal structures, and
off-market transactions still require a
more hands-on approach. This gap is
where innovation and specialization will
matter most going forward.
For those
willing to adapt, 2026 presents less
speculation and more opportunity.
|
Dave
Evanson
Senior
Domain Broker, Sedo.com
Sometimes
it seems like Dave Evanson's name appears in
DNJournal's bi-weekly
report of top domain sales just as often
as the column's author (Ron Jackson). Over the years,
Sedo's Senior Broker has placed countless five, six
and seven figure sales on the DNJ charts. He's been
doing it consistently for over 14 years now so you can
expect to more of the same in 2026.
|
The
domain industry was robust in 2025.
Premium and Ultra-Premium .com domains
plus AI domains scored top showings.
These domain groups started and finished
the year very strong.
I’m
delighted to report Sedo’s
Brokerage Team had another very strong
year. There were over seven times
(600% uptick) as many $500,000 plus
deals in 2025 compared to 2024. The
number of $1,000,000 plus deals
in 2025 exceeded the number of
$1,000,000 plus deals in 2024 and 2023 combined.
2025
was one of my best years since joining
Sedo 17 years ago. One highlight
was I completed five brokerage deals
totaling approximately $6,000,000
during a few weeks as we moved from
Summer into Fall.
In
2026 I’m anticipating cautious
optimism with emphasis on adaptability.
AI will leave most experimentation
in the rear-view mirror with vision
towards integration into core
workflows and scalable projects. AI
will impact some jobs but it |
Dave
Evanson
|
|
will
also boost efficiency. I’m
expecting more funding into pre-IPO
companies and M&A with one sweet
spot being startups using AI in
fintech space. The overall business
outlook points to steady growth.
Key drivers will be investments in AI
and strong consumer spending.
There will be hurdles such as
geopolitical tensions, inflation, steep
tariffs and uncertain interest rates.
There
will be more reported high 7-figure
and 8-figure sales in 2026.
Almost all or all will be .com or .ai
sales. Some solid companies will
upgrade their .ai domains to .com.
Category-defining domains will
continue to appreciate nicely.
Short, positive .coms will do well.
AI domains hyping products or services
will overpower those about
experimentation, conceptualization and
ideation. Some registrant
companies will be freeing up domains
they have been holding but buyers will
push prices up.
|
David
Clements
Founder,
Brannans.com
In
Brannans.com, Founder David
Clements has built a prospering boutique
advisory firm focused on ultra-premium,
category-defining domain names. For more than twenty
years, David has worked with founders, boards,
investors, and private owners on the acquisition and
sale of scarce digital assets, including one-word .com
domains that define entire markets. His approach
emphasizes long-term thinking, disciplined
positioning, and understanding how trust, recall, and
default behavior shape outcomes. David is the author
of The
Ultimate Domain Name Handbook, which draws
on real transactions and case studies to explain why
the best domain names function as durable
infrastructure rather than speculative assets.
|
The biggest
thing to understand about 2025 is that nothing
fundamentally changed. The domain market has always behaved
like other asset classes. It moves up and down with cycles,
sentiment, liquidity, and confidence. But over long periods
of time, the trend for scarce, high-quality assets is
and always has been up. That’s true for equities,
it’s true for real estate, and it’s true for premium
domain names.
What has become clearer is where the market has drawn the
line. The top end has separated itself.
Category-defining, exact-match, one-word .com domains are no
longer edge cases. The best names now sell for at least seven
figures with regularity. That didn’t happen because of
hype. It happened because the buyers who actually matter,
i.e., founders, boards, and VCs, keep reaching the same
conclusion independently.
AI accelerated that realization. It made it much
easier to launch companies and a lot harder to stand out. A
lot of businesses started on .ai or other alternative
domains because they were faster and cheaper to acquire. As
soon as these businesses raised real money, entered M&A
discussions, or tried to build something durable, many of
them came back for the .com. We saw that pattern
repeat all year.
|
David
Clements |
|
Another quiet shift was structural.
Reaching domain owners is harder than it used to be.
Privacy, intermediaries, and fewer trusted marketplaces have
increased friction. At the same time, deal structures have
evolved. Installments and owner financing are now normal at
the high end, not exceptions.
A related shift has been security and asset stewardship.
As the value of premium domain names has increased, the
amount of time and effort spent trying to steal them has
increased as well. Domain theft is no longer rare, and in
many cases it has nothing to do with the registrar itself.
It usually starts with compromised email accounts, outdated
access controls, or poor password hygiene tied to WHOIS or
registrar records. Estate planning has become part of
this conversation. Owners, executors, and administrators
need to treat premium domains like other high-value assets:
regularly reviewing access, updating passwords, and ensuring
that registrar accounts and associated email addresses are
secured and properly documented. That’s not theoretical. Air.com
was stolen because someone gained access to the email
address on file at the registrar. As domain values rise,
operational discipline matters just as much as market
timing.
At Brannans, we responded by doing less, not more. We
narrowed our focus to ultra-premium, category-defining
assets and the people who want them and the people who
control them. We spend most of our time on positioning,
buyer qualification, and making sure deals only happen when
they make sense long-term for everyone involved. In an
active market, discipline matters more than noise.
|
David
Clements (at right) catching with Braden Pollock and
Jodi Chamberlain at an
evening social event during the 2020 NamesCon Gloal
conferecnce in Austin, Texas. |
Looking
ahead to 2026, I don’t think the dynamics change
much. They just get more pronounced.
Competition will keep increasing. AI and automation make it
easier to launch companies and harder to stand out. That
pushes more value into trust, recall, and default behavior.
When everything else levels out, the domain name matters
more, not less. The supply of true one-word .coms is
fixed, and the available inventory keeps shrinking. Many names
that were once on the market will never be for sale again.
That alone answers most valuation questions.
We’ll also keep seeing companies move from alternative
extensions to .com as they mature. New TLDs will
continue to be used as starting points, but category leaders
eventually consolidate on the standard. That’s been true for
decades and I don’t see a reason it suddenly reverses.
From a transaction standpoint, flexibility will continue to
matter. Structured deals, private transactions, and discretion
are increasingly important, especially as scrutiny around
security, provenance, and compliance increases. Buyers are
more careful. Sellers are more patient.
Looking ahead, security and continuity will matter more, not
less. As domain values continue to rise, owners will need to
think beyond acquisition and pricing and focus on long-term
stewardship. That includes access control, succession
planning, and making sure critical accounts don’t become
single points of failure. In a market where assets are
increasingly illiquid and irreplaceable, operational mistakes
can be just as costly as bad decisions.
One of the biggest challenges will remain reachability.
Serious buyers often struggle to engage owners at all. That
friction doesn’t slow the market down. It concentrates it
around people who already have relationships and know how to
navigate it.
That’s where Brannans operates. We’re not trying to cover
the whole market. We work with a narrow slice of assets and a
narrow group of decision-makers. In 2026, the opportunity is
the same as it’s always been: help the right people transact
in assets where the supply is fixed. |
Joe
Uddeme
Founder,
NameExperts.com
Joe
Uddeme entered the domain business as the Director
of Business Development at Domain Holdings. After five
successful years there he opened his own shop at NameExperts.com
in 2015 and since then has racked up over $125
million in sales. Over the past couple of years he
has made headlines with sales like Poker.net at
$750,000, IW.com at $570,000 and
several others well into six figures.
|
Joe
Uddeme |
As
a premium .com domain name expert, AI
surely had the most impact on the
Domain name space in 2025. Huge amounts
of funding continued to fuel a strong
and robust AI development and
technological launch for brands.
Companies continued recognizing the
importance of the shorter brand and the
need to secure both the .com as well
as the applicable .ai cctld. Domain
sales remain strong for the end-user.
Users and startups target brand-centric
strategic assets as the short, generic
.com, with a broad commercial appeal,
continue to appreciate in value.
As
an independent stealth acquisition
broker, I spend considerable time
educating clients on the long-term value
of their foundational brand. Most
end-users understand domains as an
asset-class; however, constant
hand-holding and expert valuations are
very helpful in guiding a potential
buyer on the value of a particular
domain name.
Overall,
there are two large events that have had
an impact on the domain aftermarket.
First, UDRP reform—thanks in
large part to the Internet
Commerce Association and Zak
Muscovitch; general counsel for the
ICA as well as WIPO.
|
|
UDRP
reform has been a must for domain name
stake holders. The second has been
the impact of .AI domain names for
brands and companies alike. A tremendous
influx of companies offering AI services
or products to different users.
Consistently
educating both buyers and sellers about
domain names as the foundation for
any brand. Everything is built
around the domain name and email system
for any true architecture or business
foundation. That has only improved in
2025. More owners get it, but also need
educating on the value of premium domain
names.
Brands
continue to push for the exact-match,
domain name. Short domains for the win!
That mantra will continue in 2026
with companies understanding the reward
clarity and authority associated with
owning the short, digital asset ending
in .com. Trust and the ability to
recall, drive the end-user to shorten
the brand. Overall, fewer transactions
will focus on quality over quantity,
with companies paying more for the
exact-match brand domain name. Buyers
also have a greater need for anonymity
and privacy protection, so working with
a broker takes on more meaning.
Additionally,
brokers have increasingly become brand
strategists or digital asset advisors,
looking to build long-term relationships
and partners with their clients. The
.com and .ai domain extensions will
continue to drive the values in
Aftermarket pricing. More AI tools can
help domain owners find ideal buyers for
their assets.
Like
so many of the experts in this report, Joe
Uddeme has a long track record of success.
Here Joe is speaking at the 2013 TRAFFIC
Las Vegas conference.
Challenges
around domain owner accessibility continue
to hinder the ability to contact certain
domain owners. Network Solutions recently
removed the ability to contact a domain
owner. That has become a major issue
for brokers trying to get in some
cases, sizable offers in front of the
correct owner and decision maker—not
easy.
Furthermore,
longer sales cycles have become the
norm, to sell domain names at end-user
pricing. More education, patience and
focus on quality of the asset. As a
proactive high-end domain broker, I focus
on the long-term upside and intrinsic
value of a domain name. By providing
expert, white-glove service, I am able to
handle the stealth acquisition with
complete anonymity.
In
conclusion, short generic and brandable
.com and .ai domain names will continue to
drive the market for brands trying to
distinguish themselves from the
competition. Brokers will need to be
stealth in their targeted approach.
|
Jonathan
"JT" Tenenbaum
CEO & General
Counsel, MediaOptions
Host & Executive Producer, DomainSherpa Jonathan
Tenenbaum has extensive legal and business experience,
particularly in the domain industry. He spent over 14 years at Web.com in
key legal and business roles, including General Counsel and later
managed NameJet, where he led operations, expanded the platform, and
managed its acquisition and integration. For the past 5+ years,
Jonathan has been with MediaOptions, the leading domain brokerage
firm, overseeing legal strategy and business operations. He is also
the host and Executive Producer of DomainSherpa, the most widely
recognized podcast covering domain investing and industry insights,
“where all roads lead to domains”!
|
The most
important trend over the past year was AI and the impact
it had on the domain industry. It was clearly the
dominant trend and the top influence in the space. New
companies, applications, and platforms fueled many big deals
as domains naturally became a target for those wanting to
better cut through the noise and establish the brand
identity and positioning that premium domain names provide.
AI tools further integrated into domain investment and
management - aiding domain name discovery, appraisal,
and portfolio optimization - simplifying processes for
investors and service providers alike.
On
top of that, the .ai TLD saw explosive growth, with
premium .ai domains commanding high prices and boosting
registration numbers. As part of this trend, the domain
aftermarket remained robust, with high-profile sales
underscoring the value of premium generics in tech, finance,
and online services. As expected, .com dominated
transactions, but alternate extensions (such as .ai) grew in
share, driven by the AI boom and further bolstered by
venture funding, M&A, and crypto/stock market activity.
|
Jonathan
"JT" Tenenbaum |
|
The domain
name industry is poised for continued evolution in 2026,
driven by technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and
the expanding digital economy.
The
excitement around AI shall continue and we will see even
more growth fueled by AI development and integration. Domain
names are critical in helping companies establish themselves
and connect with their customers, and as AI drives economic
activity, domains will remain a key differentiator and
tool for companies to succeed. Additionally, ICANN's
new gTLD round will also be very interesting. Set
to open applications in April 2026, we expect hundreds (if
not thousands) of new industry-specific and brand TLDs, as
well as new TLDs intended to supplement existing Web3 domains
that have already been released. This will create a
great amount of excitement and activity in the space as all
the applicants jockey for position. |
Kate
Buckley
Founder
& CEO, Defining.com
Seeing
domain name sales brokered by Kate Buckley at
the top of DNJournal.com charts has become a common
occurrence over the years as Kate continues to ring up
sales of six and seven figure sales with astonishing
regularity. Kate also has a fascinating life story,
one that we detailed in a 2018 DN
Journal Cover Story.
|
2025
was, in many ways, a year of recalibration
for the domain industry. Buyers became
more deliberate, boards became more
involved in naming decisions, and
“nice-to-have” domains went by the
wayside. What remained in strong demand
were names that could credibly anchor
a category, lower long term customer
acquisition costs, and signal authority
from day one.
At
the ultra-premium end of the market,
which is where Defining.com operates,
pricing actually strengthened. While
mid-tier liquidity remained choppy,
exact match and category-defining .coms
continued to command impressive prices.
The spread between average names and
exceptional names widened materially
in 2025.
Another
major shift we observed was the growing
influence of private equity and
late-stage venture capital in naming
and rebranding decisions. More buyers
came to the table with fully
underwritten business cases for domain
acquisitions, tying the asset directly
to valuation uplift, conversion
efficiency, or global expansion. This
marked a maturation of how premium
domains are being evaluated internally
by end users. |
Kate
Buckley
|
|
On that note, in addition to our targeted
outbound domain brokerage, we also took
on more domain acquisition work than
ever before—we’re seeing more
than ever that companies recognize the
need to own a best in class domain
name—and delivered several highly
meaningful acquisition wins for our
clients.
2025 was also a year of consolidation and
refinement for us. Following our
rebrand from Buckley Media to
Defining.com, we leaned even harder into
our core thesis: a small slate of best
in class assets, deep buyer research,
targeted and curated outbound, and
win/win negotiation. We also doubled
down on both buyer and seller
education—helping both sides
understand the true value of
ultra-premium assets as well as how
pricing, timing, and use case directly
affect value.
Finally, there was a subtle but important
psychological shift among buyers in
2025. After the volatility of recent
years, premium digital assets,
particularly category-defining domains,
began to feel “safe” again. Not
speculative. Strategic. That
sentiment shift matters, and it showed
up in both deal flow and deal velocity.
Heading
into 2026, I believe we are
entering a more disciplined,
professionalized phase of the premium
domain market. The easy narratives are
gone; what remains is a more rational
market driven by corporate utility and
long-term brand economics.
As
more companies quantify the downstream
value of category authority—across SEO,
paid acquisition, trust, and
conversion—we will see premium domains
increasingly treated as balance-sheet
assets rather than marketing
expenses. That creates a favorable
long-term backdrop for ultra-premium
pricing, particularly for singular,
empty vessel or category-defining names
that can scale with a business over
time.
AI
will also continue to play a meaningful
role in 2026. As product differentiation
compresses and competitors proliferate
faster than ever, brand clarity and
memorability become mission critical. In
an AI-accelerated economy, owning the
obvious name for a company or category
is one of the few durable competitive
advantages a company can still buy
outright. In short, in the age of
AI, brand (which of course encompasses a
company’s name and domain!) is everything.
It is the only moat you can have in an
increasingly commoditized marketplace.
We
are also seeing this firsthand through
conversations with senior brand and
marketing leaders who are actively
rethinking naming strategy in light of
AI-driven commoditization. While
branding has always mattered, it is now
one of the most important decisions a
company makes from day one.
Kate
Buckley speaking at the 2025 NamesCon
Global conference in Austin, Texas.
That
said, challenges remain. Buyer
caution has not disappeared; it has
simply become more selective.
Transactions will continue to require
more education, more internal alignment
on the buyer side, and more patience
from sellers. Overpriced assets will
stagnate. Unrealistic sellers will
continue to miss windows of opportunity.
One
last note on AI as regards naming, given
the proliferation of AI, it seems
obvious to me that names that
directly reference AI will be less
valuable as time goes by, and a
simple strong brand will be increasingly
desirable. Additionally, names that pass
the “radio test” or as we now call
it, “the LLM test” will increase in
value. As we all increasingly lean on AI
for navigation, authoritative, easy to
spell (correctly spelled!), descriptive
domains will increase in value.
For
Defining.com, 2026 will be about
deepening what we already do best. We
will continue to focus on ultra-premium
inventory, high-touch outbound strategy,
expert domain acquisition services, and
disciplined valuation guidance. We are
also expanding our advisory role with
founders and private equity groups who
are making naming and rebranding
decisions earlier in the lifecycle,
before bad brand choices harden into
sunk costs. By combining ultra-premium
domain brokerage with high-level brand
and naming advisory, we are uniquely
positioned to support companies earlier
in the lifecycle, before bad brand
choices harden into sunk costs.
On
an industry level, I expect continued
consolidation, fewer but more
serious players, and a growing divide
between transactional platforms and true
advisory firms. The latter will
increasingly be judged not by volume,
but by the quality of assets they
represent and the outcomes they deliver.
Overall,
I’m optimistic. The market feels
healthier than it did two or three years
ago—less noisy, less speculative, and
more anchored in economic reality. For
those of us who operate at the top end
of the market and stay relentlessly
focused on fundamentals, 2026 should
be a very constructive year. |
Mark
Daniel
Co-Founder,
Domain
Holdings Group
Over
a decade ago, Mark Daniel played a key role in
establishing Domain Holdings Group, a
specialized boutique firm focusing on high end domain
brokerage. In 2017, he assumed the position of
Managing Director, overseeing the company's operations
and Brokerage. Mark is a Digital Real Estate expert
who specializes in helping clients acquire and divest
premium domain names and other online assets.
Collaborating with a diverse range of individuals,
startups, and major brands, he is widely known for his
dedication to his clients and the broader domain
industry.
|
Mark
Daniel |
From my perspective working in the premium domain space,
2025 was one of the more interesting years for both domain sales and acquisitions. The biggest shift I’ve seen is that domains are increasingly being treated not just as “company websites,” but as real business assets. More founders, investors, and established companies now recognize that a premium domain is often one of the few digital assets a company can truly
own, control, and build brand equity
around.
Within the premium domain category, one of the most significant trends in 2025 was the continued rise in demand and value of
.ai domain names. As artificial intelligence becomes fully embedded into everyday business, the general public is becoming more familiar with the .ai extension. What was once considered niche or speculative is now widely understood as a legitimate brand signal for innovation and technology. It feels like
2025 was the year when .ai really entered the
mainstream.
|
|
We’ve continued to see strong interest in
.ai domains from both startups and well-funded companies, and in most cases these names are being acquired at 5 and 6 figure price points. As AI continues to move from trend to the new reality, I believe
.ai domains will continue to appreciate in the near term, especially for short, brandable, category-defining names.
That said, while I believe its value will continue to rise, I also believe that
.com will always be the most valuable extension. Most companies ultimately want the .com version of their brand, even if they start with using an
.ai domain. The .com provides universal credibility, trust, global recognition, and long-term brand protection that no other extension can match. We see that sophisticated buyers now pursue a dual strategy of launching on
.ai while quietly working to acquire the .com to fully “own” their brand (or sometimes vice versa).
One of the ongoing challenges in the industry remains
managing perception versus reality. Many buyers and sellers still come into conversations with preconceived notions based on headlines, outdated sales comps, or isolated success stories. The very best assets, one-word .coms and strong short brands, continue to increase in value, while lower-quality inventory sees a lot less interest.
From a supply-and-demand standpoint, the fundamentals for premium .com domains remain strong. The inventory of truly high-quality .com names is
shrinking every year, while global demand continues to expand. As more companies are formed and more capital flows into digital businesses, competition for top-tier digital real estate only increases.
Mark
Daniel (4th from left) was a featured
speaker on a broker's panel
DNJournal's Ron Jackson moderated at the
2025 NamesCon Global conference in
Miami.
Looking ahead to
2026, I see the premium domain market becoming even more relationship-driven and private. One of the biggest trends I expect to continue is the rise in
stealth acquisitions where buyers prefer to be anonymous and negotiate behind the scenes to avoid inflating prices or tipping off competitors. This is good for us experienced brokers who can protect confidentiality, structure creative deals, and navigate complex negotiations and often more “unique” domain owners.
I also see continued growth in AI-driven brand creation, which will keep fueling demand across both
.ai and .com. Many new companies will start with AI first, but the most sophisticated and smartest ones will still prioritize owning their .com as part of a long-term brand strategy. This creates ongoing opportunities for brokers who understand branding, psychology, and business strategy and are not just domain mechanics.
Another major opportunity is the
increasing use of flexible transaction
structures, including payment plans, lease-to-own models, and hybrid deals involving equity. As premium domains become more expensive, creative deal structures will play an even larger role in enabling high-quality acquisitions while aligning incentives between buyers and sellers.
From an industry perspective, one of the biggest challenges will be
education and transparency. Domains remain one of the most misunderstood asset classes in tech. Many founders only appreciate their value after struggling to build credibility or scale without the right name. Helping the broader market understand domains as a strategic asset remains essential for the long-term health of our industry as a whole.
Personally, my focus going into 2026 will be on
strengthening relationships with long-term domain owners and continuing to position premium domains as
core business assets, similar to prime real estate. I also plan to further strengthen collaboration with brokers in our trusted network. The strongest trend I continue to see is a shift away from speculation and toward strategic ownership, where the best domains are held, developed, and as mentioned previously, treated as foundational to building global brands.
In that sense, the domain industry is still maturing. The premium segment market is becoming more professional and sophisticated as people are finally treating premium domain names as a serious long-term investments.
I feel energized and excited by the possibilities that lie ahead.
|
Mark
Ghoriafi "Mr. Premium"
Premium
Broker at Sedo.com
Mark
"Mr. Premium" Ghoriafi, is Sedo's
powerhouse Outbound Broker, facilitating
tens-of-millions-of-dollars in deals through a
combination of relentless traditional outreach and
high-octane strategy. Mark’s history-making
marketing transforms domain promotion into cinematic
events, capturing attention, creating opportunity, and
delivering consistent results that are often headline
status
|
Start
with impact.
Continue with momentum.
End with authority.
This defines the industry rhythm of
2025,
and energy entering the first weeks of
2026. Being on the frontline of outbound
brokerage at Sedo, I experienced a
robust uptick of consistent high-value
deals throughout 2025, with the Sedo
marketplace and MLS also showing great
resilience. Following a period of global
economic hesitation, buyer certainty
bounced back and continued to rise,
driving an increase in both the
frequency and the scale of
acquisitions.
Sedo’s
internal data highlights this upward
trend; notably, the volume of six and
seven-figure transactions, which
surpassed 2024 levels and other recent
years. This reinforces the reality that
high-tier domains are essential
components of business strategy and
sustainability.
The
prevalence of high-ticket sales
underscores one undeniable truth:
.COM remains the gold standard and
leader of global trust. Whether I |
Mark
Ghoriafi
|
|
represented
the seller or buyer for brokerage deals,
the consensus was clear: long-term
stability, brand credibility, and
industry authority are the decisive
drivers behind premium spending for
one-word, exact-match .COMs.
Despite
the enduring dominance of .COM, the
.AI extension emerged as a
formidable co-headliner in 2025. We
witnessed a record-breaking number of
.AI entries on the DNJournal Top 100
Sales Shart for all extensions, with
every .AI entry breaking the
six-figure barrier. Leading this surge
were Wisdom.ai ($800,000), Cloud.ai
($600,000), and Law.ai ($350,000)
- a deal I facilitated at Sedo,
representing the seller. A review of the
matching Top 100 sales charts over the
past five years reveals an indisputable
upward trajectory for the .AI extension.
Its transition from total absence to a
high-value presence on these elite
charts is remarkable in such a short
period of time:
2025:
23 .ai sales in the top 100 (23
at 6-figure price)
2024: 21 .ai sales in the top 100
(11 at 6-figure price)
2023: 8 .ai sales in the top 100
(5 at 6-figure price)
2022: 0 .ai sales in the top 100
2021: 0 .ai sales in the top 100
|
I see the nature of ongoing .AI
acquisitions in 2026
pivoting decisively toward
genuine brand building. As
confidence in the extension
grows, businesses now have the
strategic flexibility to adopt
.AI without sacrificing global
search visibility. I foresee an
increasing number of legacy
brands capitalizing on this,
utilizing the extension as a
meaningful, high-authority
differentiator in a tech-driven
market.
However,
we must look at the long-term
horizon. While .AI is currently
a powerful differentiator, there
will come a time when AI
technology is simply part of
every business. As it
becomes more universally
integrated, the extension may
lose its unique status, likely
causing the current upward
trajectory of high-priced .AI
sales to level out.
Simultaneously,
we are already witnessing some
established businesses using the
.AI extension choosing to upgrade
to their matching .COM,
solidifying its resilience and
sought-after status. Looking
ahead, I anticipate a continuous
wave of |
|
|
momentum
where one-word, exact-match
.COM’s will remain at the
forefront of investor interest.
I expect to see an ongoing
increase in six and seven-figure
transactions as emerging and
established companies aim to
secure their digital legacies.
For
the second consecutive year,
I’m honored to have achieved
the industry’s first major
headline deals, fueling a strong
opening-pace for the domain
landscape. Last year, my
brokered sale of Pack.com
($600,000), subsequently
followed by Double.com
($980,000) helped lay the 2025
domain foundations. In the
opening week of 2026 my
facilitated deals
for Midnight.com ($1.15
Million) and C4.com
($265,000) are no doubt the
first contributions to a
milestone year ahead for us all. |
|
Ryan
McKegney
Founder,
DomainAgents.com
DomainAgents.com
has been making waves ever since the company was
founded in 2012. DomainAgents consistently ranks
among the top ten brokerages in the world, based on
total sales volume on the Escrow.com platform. Ryan,
personally has been having a major positive impact in his role as a
Member of the Board of Directors for the Internet
Commerce Association.
|
I didn’t
know what to expect in 2025.
Reviewing my predictions last year, I
was spot on about tariffs and a quickly
expiring honeymoon period for the new US
administration. Despite the
uncertainty, AI investment drove the
stock market and the domain market.
It was the strongest year for the
domain aftermarket since 2021.
In
2026 I think it’s very possible
we will see a public backlash against
AI. There is no doubt that AI is
here to stay, it's too useful to
disappear, even if it turns out that
there has been an over investment in
infrastructure. That said, you may not
want to have your brand associated with
AI if the stock market goes sour and
people are losing their jobs to AI
Agents. Teens are also using
“That’s AI” as an insult to mean
fake or uncool.
Companies who are currently using .ai
domains, will want to upgrade to
.com names that come with more
credibility and less baggage. We are
already seeing this. Expect the prices
for top .coms to continue to rise. |
Ryan
McKegney
|
|
The
application period for the new round
of TLDs will get a lot of attention.
Extensions like .crypto and .wallet will
draw a lot of applicants. Hopefully
lessons have been learned from the
previous round. The economics of running
a single TLD are difficult, but there
are economies of scale for running many.
Don't expect any of these new extensions
launch in 2026 though. Many TLDs from
2012 still haven't launched and a
common story I've heard is that the
protracted nature of applying for and
launching a new TLD means that by the
time they are actually ready to launch,
the champion inside the company has
moved on and the project ends up
orphaned. I'm going to pick a
number out of the air and say there will
be around 1200 applications. Similar to
last time around.
There's a good chance that both CentralNic
(carved out of Team Internet) and Sedo
find themselves in new hands as the
fallout from the end of Adsense for
Domains plays out. Will the buyers
be existing players or will another
Private Equity company enter the space?
It will be interesting to see if anybody
is able to come up with a solution
that works at scale for parked domains.
Right now I'm seeing a number of fairly
marginal portfolios that had relied on
parking to at least cover part of the
cost of carrying being liquidated or
dropped.
Overall, I am optimistic about the
domains in 2026. There will be some
bumps, but AI is making website
development available to more people
while startups and VCs are searching for
an edge. I think investors and end users
are going to gravitate towards quality
.com domains this year. There are few
moats for AI companies and having a
strong brand with a strong domain is one
of the best ways to build one. These
tailwinds should guide the aftermarket
past challenges in the larger economy
and world. |
Tessa
Holcomb
Founder,
DomainAdvisors.com
Pioneering
the concept of boutique domain brokerages, Tessa
founded Domain
Advisors and Igloo.com, contributing
to over $300 million in domain sales since 2009. She
currently works with select clients on sales and
acquisitions and provides consulting on branding and
domain strategy. Tessa’s service on the ICA
Board of Directors highlights her dedication to the rights and
interests of domain name owners and has positioned her
as a key player in fostering best practices for domain
brokers.
|
The
biggest surprise of 2025 wasn't
that .ai domains performed well
(we all saw it coming) but it was the
actual transaction values (into
the seven figures) that exceeded my
expectations. Not only does this reflect
the massive capital flowing into
artificial intelligence companies, but
marks the strategic importance founders
place on having a domain that
immediately signals their focus.
Equally
surprising was the shift in deal
structures. I'm seeing significantly
more buyers asking for payment plans (which
makes sense when you're a startup) but
what I found interesting is that while
domain sellers are actually willing to
take equity stakes in promising
companies, the buyers themselves prefer
extended payment terms over surrendering
equity. The fact that they'd rather pay
more than dilute their ownership
demonstrates how confident buyers are in
their ventures and how highly they value
maintaining full control.
|
Tessa
Holcomb
|
|
From
a valuation perspective, short
brandable .com domains remain undisputed
at the top of the food chain.
However, industry-specific domains,
primarily crypto and ai,
weren’t far behind followed by gaming,
finance, insurance, and medical domains.
As a result, I’m seeing some domain
owners (usually those with only one big
name) decline very significant offers to
hold out for something bigger. I expect
several of these names will eventually
transact in 2026, likely setting new
benchmarks when they do.
The
opportunity I'm most excited about is the
inventory coming available. I’m
seeing longtime owners (some who’ve
held just a few premium domains for
decades) finally ready to sell. These
aren't portfolio holders. They are
usually sophisticated owners who
acquired names for previous companies or
projects that no longer exist.
They may be retiring, thinking about
their legacy, or just recognizing this
as the right time to cash in.
For someone who spends half their
time tracking down unique, hard-to-get,
domains, being introduced to fresh, new
inventory represents a significant
milestone.
The
challenge for 2026 will be
managing client expectations and getting
buyers to understand that the best
domains rarely become available, and
when they do, decisive action is
necessary. On the flip side, sellers
must recognize that while holding can
pay off, market timing matters -
especially as more inventory enters the
market. We also need to see more
collaboration among brokers. Working
together will move more inventory and
elicit higher sale prices making it a
win-win for everyone.
I
expect we'll see some major sales
announced early in 2026 that will set
the tone for the year. Those sales will
validate the holders who waited and
likely unlock even more premium
inventory as others see what's possible.
We're
also seeing more competition in the
escrow space. The established
players will have to up their game,
particularly around accepting crypto
payments, and the new players will have
to differentiate themselves and provide
real value if they want clients to
switch from services they already know
and trust. Bottom line - with so many
domain deals involving crypto buyers,
escrow companies that don't adapt will
lose business.
Tessa
Holcomb, who is an ICA Board Member,
speaking at the
2025 Internet Commerce Association
Annual Member Meeting in Las Vegas.
Ultimately,
2026 will favor companies who are
willing to be flexible and able to
navigate complexity. It's not just a
matter of understanding domains, but
also business strategy, deal
structuring, and the evolving digital
landscape. For high-value domain
brokerage, the fundamentals remain
strong: solid names in strategic
categories will continue to appreciate,
and serious companies are recognizing
that the right domain is a cornerstone
asset worth significant investment.
Before
closing, I want to extend my sincere
gratitude to Ron Jackson for his
tireless work chronicling our industry.
His dedication to reporting sales, news
updates, in-depth profiles of industry
leaders, comprehensive coverage of key
conferences, and, of course, 22 years of
DN Journal’s State of the Industry
Cover Story, is invaluable - not
just to those of us in the business, but
to everyone trying to understand our
dynamic space. Thank you, Ron, for all
you do.
As
we move forward into 2026, I wish
everyone a happy, healthy, and
prosperous year ahead. May your
portfolios appreciate, your negotiations
succeed, and your strategic vision prove
fruitful. Here's to navigating whatever
complexity comes our way, together.
|
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heard from Domain Brokers. See what Corporate Executives and Domain
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*****
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