Quarterly Report Q2 2025: Aftermarket

This quarterly report, originally featured in The Domain Standard (Issue 02, October 2025), presents verified data and commentary on the global domain aftermarket in Q2 2025.

Record-Breaking $12 Million Sale of Icon.com Headlines Q2 2025

The second quarter of 2025 delivered some of the most headline-worthy domain sales in recent memory, led by the monumental $12 million acquisition of Icon.com, a clear signal that ultra-premium, one-word .com domains remain the gold standard for digital identity. Brokered by Hilco Digital Assets, this blockbuster deal reaffirms the enduring value of category-defining names and cements .com as the domain extension of choice for global branding.

Trailing not far behind, Fuse.com ($2.1 million) reflected sustained demand for short, energetic .coms ideal for startups and consumer-facing brands.

The AI boom continued shaping the domain landscape, with Rush.ai ($300 K), Breeze.ai ($225 K) and Seed.ai ($225 K) highlighting the premium placed on sleek, vertical-relevant names powering emerging tech ventures.

Top 10 Domain Sales: Q2 2025

Other Relevant .COM Sales

The mid-tier .com market remained vibrant, with a mix of brandable, geographic, and keyword-rich domains trading between $50 K – $100 K, showing strong end-user and investor interest in practical, brandable names.

Highlights

• Sonora.com – $92 K (GoDaddy) — geo-name with multi-market potential across tourism and lifestyle.
• Bedroom.com – $87.6 K (CanvasMedia) — core e-commerce keyword in furniture and design.
• HomeBattery.com – $75 K (Sedo) — benefiting from the energy-storage boom.
• Adios.com – $75 K and Raju.com – $68 K — personal and multilingual branding potential.
• Nise.com – $75 K, EDC.com – $72.5 K, Chit.com – $56.3 K — short, versatile, brand-friendly names.
• YYBet.com – $70 K, MrBet.com – $57 K — strong showing for betting/gaming verticals.
• PlayID.com – $60 K and AICandy.com – $50 K — gaming + AI crossover creativity.

“Mid-tier domains show the greatest price variance… Some secure wholesale prices, while others meet sellers who hold firm, reflecting current and future value.” — Page Howe

Country Codes (ccTLD Market)

The country-code top-level domain market continued showing exceptional strength, especially .ai, which has become a de facto extension for AI startups.

Key Sales Highlights

• Rush.ai – $300 K (Atom.com)
• Breeze.ai & Seed.ai – $225 K each
• Rank.ai – $200 K, Mini.ai – $117 K
• JCL.ai – $95.5 K, Champion.ai – $89.5 K
• InteriorDesign.ai, Conduct.ai, Trains.ai, Virtuoso.ai (~$70 K each)

Outside .ai:

• Fietsen.nl – $85.5 K (“fietsen” = bicycles in Dutch) — strong localized category domain.
• Brain.co – $83.7 K and Shine.co – $80 K — premium branding for tech and wellness.
• Glow.io – $75 K — steady rise of .io domains among startups and Web3 ventures.
  
  

“.AI is now firmly entrenched as a premium namespace, rivaling .com in certain niches, while high-quality .co, .io, and country-specific extensions continue to offer strong value.” — Page Howe

Market Balance and Trends

From eight-figure blockbusters to fast-moving AI assets and mid-tier brandables, the Q2 aftermarket displayed balanced, diversified strength.

Overall Signals:

• Ultra-premium .coms still dominate branding appeal.
• .AI sales achieve 10–30% of comparable .com values — a rare trend since .net/.org in the 1990s or .io in 2021-23.
• Next-gen extensions (.xyz, .io) show sustained momentum with tech buyers.

“From multimillion-dollar domains to robust sales of other TLDs and two-word domains, buyers demonstrate the high value they place on rare, desirable domain names.” — Page Howe

Methodology

All data in this report were derived from publicly available NameBio records covering transactions from April 1 – June 30, 2025, categorized into:

• Legacy gTLDs
• ccTLDs
• New gTLDs

Each record includes the domain name, sale price (USD), date, and venue. While private or unreported sales aren’t captured, NameBio offers the most reliable snapshot of publicly visible domain aftermarket activity.

“Strong in-country end-user sales in the ccTLD space signal a bright future as nations cultivate their own premium domain markets.” — Page Howe

Source: The Domain Standard, Issue 02 – October 2025

To read the full article or download the magazine, visit domainstandard.com