In 2026, the median price of .ai domains surpassed that of .com domains; a Sedo report reveals a new order in the domain market.

While everyone still regards .com as the "absolute king" of the domain name world, a "2026 Global Domain Name Report" from Sedo, the world's largest domain name trading platform, is rewriting the underlying logic of this industry. The report data shows that the median price of domain name transactions on the Sedo platform is $818, while the median price of the traditional hegemon, .com, is only $595. Even more astonishingly, the median price of .ai domain names has quietly surpassed that of .com, becoming a "new darling" with a higher unit price in the domain name market.

Behind this disruptive data lies the redefinition of digital asset value brought about by the explosive growth of the AI ​​industry. Although .ai domains account for only 2% of total transactions, their extremely high average transaction price directly raises the median price level of the overall market.

How did .ai, once considered a niche country code domain, manage to shake the 30-year dominance of .com?

First, it's driven by the powerful industry trend. Artificial intelligence has become a core arena of global technological competition, projected to reach a market size of trillions of dollars over the next decade. In this context, .ai domains are no longer simply website suffixes, but rather a symbol of identity for AI companies, a visual emblem of their technology brands, and a core entry point connecting users with AI services. The demand for .ai domains has shifted from a "nice-to-have" to a "strategic necessity."

Second, it represents a complete reconstruction of value perception. The record-breaking $70 million sale of AI.com significantly raised market expectations for the value of AI-related domains. Capital and businesses are beginning to realize that in the AI ​​era, a precise, concise, and highly recognizable domain name is as valuable as prime real estate in the digital world, saving companies enormous marketing and customer acquisition costs and building an insurmountable brand moat.

Furthermore, there is a profound change in the transaction structure. Sedo's report shows that while the transaction volume of .ai domains is small, the average transaction price is extremely high. This indicates that the main players in the .ai market are enterprises with genuine application needs, rather than simply speculators. This "application-oriented" transaction structure makes the value of .ai domains more solid, stable, and has greater long-term growth potential.

In contrast, while the .com market remains a cornerstone of the domain name world, its growth has slowed, with many domains remaining idle or in low-value trading. Meanwhile, .ai domains, deeply intertwined with the AI ​​industry, are ushering in their own golden age.