Every Time You Click On Claude, A Caribbean Island Earns Millions Of Dollars

In the mid‑to‑late 1980s, country‑code top‑level domains (ccTLDs) were established. Each country was assigned an extension code. For example, India received .in, China .cn, Australia .au, and Italy .it, among many others. However, the most interesting code was given to Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.

The authorities assigned .ai as the domain code to the Caribbean island territory without realising that it would one day help it make millions of dollars every year. Who could have known in the 1980s that the 21st century would witness a boom in artificial intelligence (AI)? Nobody could have anticipated it, but this domain name has been helping the Caribbean island, with a population of 14,838, according to Worldometer diversify its economy.

How Anguilla Is Making Millions With Domain Code

In May 2024, a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted how the boom in artificial intelligence, especially after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, has brought an “unusual boom” to Anguilla’s economy.

Since ChatGPT entered our lives – becoming a therapist, a trusted source of information, and a friend like Doraemon, but at our fingertips – registrations for .ai domain names have spiked exponentially. The recorded number was 144,000 in 2022, which jumped to 354,000 in 2023.

One can say that the boom in AI has made this small Caribbean island remarkably shock‑proof to external economic factors.

Anguilla’s .ai domain name has been helping it diversify its economy. Photo: Anguilla Tourist Board

How Much Money Has Anguilla Made From Its Domain Name

According to the same report, Anguilla made USD 32 million (approximately Rs 301 crore) through .ai domain registrations in 2023. This was 20% of the government’s total revenue for the year. From 2019 to 2022, it accounted for just 5% of overall revenue.

The economy of Anguilla depends heavily on tourism, with related activities accounting for 37% of the territory’s GDP. Tourist inflows can be severely affected by hurricanes during the autumn season. As a result, domain registration has emerged as another important source of income for the island territory.

How does it work?

Anguilla’s pricing model has made it a successful revenue story. It charges USD 140 (approximately Rs 13,186) for two years of domain registration. This is a competitive rate and ensures a steady flow of income for the territory.

But that’s not all. The government also auctions premium .ai domains. For instance, litigate.ai expired, and Anguilla auctioned it for USD 13,000 (approximately Rs 12.2 lakh) in 2023.

According to a report by Anguilla Focus the government of the Caribbean island territory earned USD 85.3 million (approximately Rs 803 crore) through .ai domain registrations.

To manage the rapid increase in income from .ai domain registrations, Anguilla signed a five‑year deal with a US‑based technology firm, Identity Digital, in October 2024. The company specialises in domain‑name registry services.

In early 2025, Identity Digital moved all .ai domains to its global server network from servers located in Anguilla. This step was taken to prevent service disruptions caused by hurricanes in the future. While the government of the Caribbean island receives the bulk of the sales revenue, the US firm gets its cut, set at 10%, according to a BBC report .

As the global demand for AI continues to grow, Anguilla’s .ai domain remains a case study in how strategic digital assets can help diversify economies.