ANGUILLA STRIKES DIGITAL GOLD: HOW TWO LETTERS TRANSFORMED A CARIBBEAN PARADISE
Small Caribbean Territory Becomes Unlikely Winner In AI Boom, Earning Millions From .AI Domain Rush
By Professor C. Justin Robinson
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UWI Five Islands Campus
In the sleepy capital of this amazingly beautiful Caribbean Island, where the pace of life moves to the rhythm of trade winds, government officials are grappling with an extraordinary problem: what to do with tens of millions of dollars in unexpected revenue. The windfall didn’t come from discovering oil or striking gold. Instead, Anguilla hit the digital jackpot through two simple letters: A and I.
In 1995, the .ai domain was assigned to Anguilla as part of routine internet infrastructure development, one of hundreds of country codes distributed worldwide. For nearly three decades, it generated modest income that rarely exceeded 5% of government revenue. Then came the AI revolution. When artificial intelligence exploded into mainstream consciousness with ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022, companies worldwide scrambled to secure web addresses ending in .ai — the internet domain that happens to belong to this British territory of just 15,000 people. Overnight, Anguilla found itself controlling one of the most coveted pieces of digital real estate on the planet.
Anguilla went from earning a few million dollars a year to over approximately US $39 million in 2024 alone. The Government of Anguilla projects that .ai domain revenues will reach EC$132 million in 2025, EC$138.6 million in 2026, and EC$145.53 million in 2027. The numbers tell a remarkable story of how geography and timing can converge in the digital age. Domain registrations surged from 144,000 in 2022 to 354,000 in 2023, now reaching over 600,000 in 2025, with tech giants like Google using google.ai and Elon Musk’s xAI claiming x.ai as prime digital addresses. Even individual domains have commanded stunning prices — HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah paid $700,000 for the coveted you.ai.
From Tourism to Tech Hub
Unlike other small nations that sold their valuable domains to foreign companies, Anguilla retained control while partnering with U.S.-based Identity Digital to manage the technical infrastructure. The five-year deal, finalized in 2024, ensures Anguilla keeps the majority of revenues while benefiting from professional management and global distribution networks. Anguilla seems to have learned from other countries’ mistakes. Anguilla has shown how to turn a country code into a significant economic asset.
Anguilla’s success has attracted attention from other Caribbean nations seeking similar opportunities. The territory’s approach demonstrates how small island developing states can leverage unexpected advantages through strategic planning and careful asset management. Other countries with interesting domains are watching Anguilla closely. St. Vincent and the Grenadines controls the .vc domain popular with venture capital firms, while other territories are reconsidering the potential value of their digital assets.
The .ai phenomenon has shown that economic transformation can come from unexpected sources, requiring only the vision to recognize opportunities and the wisdom to manage them well. For Anguilla, two simple letters have opened a door to possibilities that extend far beyond the shores of this small island paradise.
Prof. C. Justin Robinson, a Vincentian and UWI graduate, holds a BSc in Management Studies, MSc in Finance and Econometrics, and PhD in Finance. With over 20 years at UWI, he has served in various leadership roles, including Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor, Board for Undergraduate Studies. A Professor of Corporate Finance with extensive research publications, he is actively involved in regional financial institutions and is currently the Principal of The UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda.
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