Top Selling cc TLDs Based on the 100 highest-value country-code domain sales
(Excerpt from The Domain Standard Issue No. 02. Read the full piece and more insights in the latest issue of The Domain Standard.)
The country code top-level domain (ccTLD) market continues to show exceptional strength, particularly within the .ai namespace, which has become a de facto extension for artificial intelligence startups and platforms. With more than a dozen high-value .ai sales this period – eight of them above $85K – the trend confirms that the AI naming boom is far from slowing down.
Topping the list of Top Selling TLD by Country Code is Rush.ai, which secured a $300,000 sale via Atom.com. Closely following are Breeze.ai and Seed.ai, both changing hands for $225,000, while Rank.ai landed a solid $200,000. These brisk, one-word domains signal startup readiness and strategic branding power, all qualities that continue to attract buyers in the fast-growing AI space.
Even longer or more specific .ai domains found traction (here you can read Freename's article: why are ai domains so expensive?) names like InteriorDesign.ai ($75,000), Conduct.ai, Trains.ai, and Virtuoso.ai (each around $70K) show that investors and companies are increasingly willing to pay for vertical-specific AI domains, reflecting the growing specialization of AI solutions across industries. Notably, JCL.ai ($95,500) and Champion. ai ($89,500) show that even acronyms and motivational terms can command five-figure prices, especially when associated with the AI space’s performance-driven ethos.
Outside of .ai, we saw standout sales from other ccTLDs as well. Fietsen.nl sold for $85,500 – d “fietsen” being the Dutch word for bicycles – underscoring the continued value of localized, category- defining names in strong consumer markets like the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Brain.co ($83,725) and Shine. co ($80,000) reflect ongoing interest in premium .co domains for cutting-edge and wellness-oriented branding, respectively. Glow.io at $75,000 also demonstrates the rising profile of .io domains, which remain popular among startups and Web3 ventures thanks to their tech-savvy appeal.
| Domain name | Price (USD) | Date | Venue |
| rush.ai | 300,000 | 2025-05-09 | Atom.com |
| breeze.ai | 225,000 | 2025-05-22 | Afternic |
| seed.ai | 225,000 | 2025-05-13 | Atom.com |
| rank.ai | 200,000 | 2025-06-17 | Spaceship.com |
| mini.ai | 117,192 | 2025-06-29 | Sedo |
| estate.ai | 100,000 | 2025-06-21 | Atom.com |
| jcl.ai | 95,500 | 2025-05-28 | Spaceship.com |
| champion.ai | 89,500 | 2025-05-01 | Spaceship.com |
| fietsen.nl | 85,500 | 2025-04-27 | Nameshift |
| sheets.ai | 85,000 | 2025-05-28 | Spaceship.com |
| brain.co | 83,725 | 2025-04-08 | Efty |
| shine.co | 80,000 | 2025-04-24 | Afternic |
| interiordesign.ai | 75,000 | 2025-06-24 | Spaceship.com |
| glow.io | 75,000 | 2025-05-23 | Private |
| nash.ai | 73,000 | 2025-05-28 | Spaceship.com |
| conduct.ai | 70,000 | 2025-06-30 | Spaceship.com |
| daft.ai | 70,000 | 2025-06-24 | Spaceship.com |
| trains.ai | 70,000 | 2025-06-24 | Spaceship.com |
| virtuoso.ai | 70,000 | 2025-04-18 | Spaceship.com |
| ponder.ai | 69,000 | 2025-05-01 | Spaceship.com |
All told, this period’s ccTLD activity paints a clear picture: .ai is now firmly entrenched as a premium namespace, rivaling .com in certain niches, while high-quality .co, .io, and country-specific extensions like .nl continue to offer strong value for both regional businesses and global-facing tech brands [...]
Would you like to continue reading the full content?
Go to domainstandard.com and download the full issue for free. Enjoy !
Methodology Disclaimer
All data presented in this report were derived from publicly available records on NameBio, the leading searchable database of historical domain name sales. NameBio aggregates verified sales across a wide range of venues, including Sedo, GoDaddy, Afternic, Drop-Catch, NameJet, and more. For this report, we focused on domain transactions recorded between April 1 and June 30, 2025. Sales were filtered by extension (e.g., .com, .ai, .xyz, .bet, etc.) and categorized into three main groups: legacy gTLDs, ccTLDs, and new gTLDs. The data include domain name, sale price (in USD), sale date, and marketplace venue. While NameBio does not capture every domain sale globally (particularly private and unreported transactions), it offers the most reliable and comprehensive snapshot of the publicly visible domain aftermarket available.
Most Common Questions
1. Which country currently leads the world in ccTLD registrations?
China '.cn' is the world leader, with over 20 million registrations.
2. Which European country has the highest number of domain registrations?
Germany is the leader in Europe, with its .de extension boasting more than 17 million registrations, making it the second-largest ccTLD globally.
3. Why is the '.tk' (Tokelau) extension so popular in the rankings?
This extension (belonging to the South Pacific territory of Tokelau) ranks highly because it has historically offered registrations for free, leading to millions of active domains. However historically they have faced significant penalties.
4. Which country code extensions are most popular for the tech and startup industry?
The article highlights '.io' (British Indian Ocean Territory) and '.ai' (Anguilla) as the top choices for tech companies and startups due to their association with "Input/Output" and "Artificial Intelligence."
5. How does the United Kingdom rank in terms of ccTLDs?
The United Kingdom is a major player in the market, with over 10 million registrations, placing it among the top five ccTLDs globally.
6. What factors contribute to the success of a country's TLD?
The success of these countries to factors such as strong local digital economies (like Germany and the UK), free registration models (like Tokelau), or strategic branding for specific niches like tech and AI (like Anguilla and the British Indian Ocean Territory).