Escrow.com: .Com hits record high, .ai settles

Escrow.com's Q1 Domain Investment Index puts the quarter at $128 million in domain sales, the strongest three-month stretch in three years. Volume is back, but the more telling number is where it landed: .com set a record while .ai stopped climbing.

.com's record is the quiet vote of confidence. Buyers continue to pay a premium for the extension with the deepest liquidity and the most predictable resale path. In a market that chases narratives, .com remains the collateral.

.ai settling isn't a retreat, it's a repricing. The names got ahead of their utility, and Escrow's index is now recording transactions with a soberer multiple. The floor is higher than it was two years ago, but the ceiling is no longer a meme.

For sellers, the index is a reminder that indices measure closed deals, not asking prices. If you want the record, list where buyers prove themselves with escrow. If you want the trend, watch which extension absorbs capital without a discount.