Crypto.com’s Marszalek said buying AI.com is a strategic brand play, plans consumer AI tools on it, and has rejected big resale offers to build trust.
- The Financial Times reported the AI.com domain sold for $70 million and was fully paid in cryptocurrency.
- AI.com said it is launching an autonomous AI agent product for consumers and tied the rollout to a Super Bowl commercial.
- Crypto.com has had high-profile ties to Trump Media, including a planned crypto venture, and has also faced user complaints online, including allegations raised in a Reddit post.
Bitcoin exchange Crypto.com’s co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek reportedly acquired the AI.com domain for $70 million, Financial Times reported on Friday.
The Financial Times reported that the purchase was brokered by Larry Fischer of GetYourDomain.com and completed entirely using cryptocurrency. Marszalek told the Financial Times he planned to debut the site in a Super Bowl commercial and positioned AI.com around a consumer-facing “personal AI agent,” according to the report.
AI.com stated in a press release that the platform will offer consumers a “private, personal AI agent” designed to take actions across apps. The company further explained that the AI agent will be able to handle tasks such as sending messages, organizing work, and executing actions in connected services as part of what it described as an “autonomous AI agent offering for consumers.”
In 2021, the firm signed a $700 million, multi-decade naming-rights contract for a major Los Angeles stadium.
Kris Marszalek, the CEO, told FT that buying AI.com makes sense as a brand “touchpoint” to avoid being seen as a commodity. He also said that he plans to build consumer-friendly AI tools in the domain and has already turned down big offers to resell it, says the report, betting that the asset will increase trust and awareness in a fast-paced market.
Cronos (CRO), developed by Crypto.com, was trading at $0.08, up by 6.6% over 24 hours. On Stockwits, the retail sentiment around CRO was in ‘bearish’ territory, as the chatter levels around it remained ‘high’ over the past day.
Trump Ties And Past Controversies
Previously, in late August, Crypto.com struck several large deals with Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT). However, Crypto.com was reported to have been involved in fraud allegations and user complaints, including posts on online forums accusing the exchange of customer disputes and account issues. In a post on r/CryptoCurrency, the market watcher alleged the company used validator voting power to push through a proposal to reintroduce tokens that had previously been burned, which they argue would dilute existing CRO holders.
The company has also faced regulatory scrutiny in Europe. In March 2024, the Dutch central bank fined Crypto.com’s operator €2.85 million ($3.1 million) for providing crypto services in the Netherlands without the required registration during an earlier period. However, in March last year, the SEC officially closed all probes into the crypto exchange.
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