Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek has bought the premium domain AI.com for $70 million in cryptocurrency, marking the biggest domain sale in history just before its Super Bowl debut.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- AI.com was sold for $70 million, paid fully in crypto, breaking all domain sale records.
- Kris Marszalek plans to launch a consumer AI platform via AI.com, featuring personal AI agents.
- The platform was introduced during a Super Bowl LX ad but temporarily crashed due to massive traffic.
- Marszalek sees AI as the next tech revolution and aims to lead the space like he did with Crypto.com.
What Happened?
Kris Marszalek, CEO and co-founder of Crypto.com, has acquired AI.com for $70 million, paid entirely in cryptocurrency. The deal was finalized in April 2025 and revealed publicly in February 2026, right before Super Bowl LX. Marszalek launched the site alongside a 30-second Super Bowl commercial that introduced AI.com as a new consumer-focused AI platform.
https://t.co/bg9QDUosiS is now live!
— ai.com (@aidotcom) February 9, 2026
Reserve your @ handle now before someone else does, and set up your most powerful AI assistant.
Delegate your work. Stay in control. pic.twitter.com/nUStGT3DWN
A Record-Shattering Domain Deal
The AI.com sale is now the largest publicly confirmed domain purchase ever, surpassing the previous record set by CarInsurance.com, which sold for $49.7 million in 2010. The transaction was brokered by Larry Fischer, who called it a one-of-a-kind opportunity. The domain had originally been listed for $100 million by seller Arsyan Ismail, but Marszalek secured it for $70 million.
Previous record domain sales include:
- CarInsurance.com: $49.7 million
- VacationRentals.com: $35 million
- Voice.com: $30 million
OpenAI also made headlines recently with its purchase of Chat.com for over $15.5 million
Fischer emphasized the uniqueness of such premium domains, saying:
Super Bowl Launch and Website Crash
AI.com was officially introduced to the public during Super Bowl LX on February 9, 2026, with a commercial that aired in the fourth quarter. The ad invited viewers to claim their handle and explore the platform, which promises users a personal AI agent that can:
- Send messages
- Execute actions across apps
- Trade stocks
- Build and manage digital projects
The idea is to move beyond basic chatbots and offer autonomous AI tools that can get things done on a user’s behalf. According to Marszalek, “We are at a fundamental shift in AI’s evolution”, where these agents will reshape how humans interact with technology.
However, the platform’s debut was met with some challenges. The Super Bowl ad triggered a huge surge in traffic that temporarily crashed the website. Marszalek acknowledged the issue on X, writing, “Insane traffic levels. We prepared for scale, but not for THIS,” along with three fire emojis.
A Bigger Vision Behind the Bet
Marszalek will serve as CEO of both Crypto.com and AI.com. The move reflects his broader strategy of securing category-defining brands, just as he did when acquiring Crypto.com’s domain and renaming the Staples Center to Crypto.com Arena in a $700 million deal.
AI.com’s platform highlights data security, with each user’s information encrypted using personal keys. The AI agents are designed to self-improve by building new features as needed, with updates shared across the network to help all users. This community learning model could be a powerful differentiator in the crowded AI space.
The launch also coincided with Crypto.com’s release of a new prediction markets app called OG, further showing the company’s aggressive strategy around major events like the Super Bowl.
SQ Magazine’s Takeaway
Honestly, I love bold plays like this. Buying AI.com for $70 million before the Super Bowl? That’s gutsy. But it also shows Marszalek knows how to grab attention and build iconic digital brands. Crypto.com started in a sea of a thousand crypto exchanges and rose to the top. Now he is trying the same with AI. If AI.com actually delivers on the promise of real, working AI agents, this could be one of the smartest branding investments we have seen in years. The site crashed on day one, sure, but that’s also proof people are interested.
