Bitcoin and two types of smoking: Last year’s big domain opportunities

If you invested in bitcoin, marijuana, or e-cigarette related domains in the past year or two, congratulations.

We can all see missed opportunities with hindsight.

Looking back at the past year, I think there were two types of domain names that were ripe for buying: domains for bitcoin as well as two different types of “smoking”.

Some good Bitcoin domains have been selling for top dollar in recent months. There was a good opportunity to pick up bitcoin related domains, counting ccTLDs, at some point in the past 12-24 months.

On the smoking front, there are two trends: one is the legalization of marijuana and the other is e-cigarettes.

Yes, the best opportunity to acquire these domain names was years ago, but I think there was still an opportunity to acquire the domains in the past 12 months or so and sell them for a profits.

The trend in marijuana legalization in the U.S. is a one way street. It’s in its infancy. Yes, it could be stalled, but there doesn’t seem like much downside. There are so few places in the U.S. where it’s legal today that I can only see it spread, not decline. I’ve noticed a bunch of related domains sell on Sedo so far this year.

The e-cigarette industry is spreading and going mainstream. It’s no longer just mom and pop operators creating vapors. The big tobacco firms are behind it now too. We’re talking regarding a $1.5 billion dollar industry for vapor.

This industry will certainly face more regulation in the future, and there are big risks. But it’s growing massively and, at least anecdotally, related domains have been selling for good prices.

Keep in mind this post is headlined “last year’s big domain opportunities”. I don’t have much knowledge of these industries. The opportunities to get domains cheap may be long gone. Going out and hand registering hundreds of crappy domains in these niches is probably a sucker’s bet.

Or maybe we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg.