Reglikedomain industry desk

A record-smashing domain sale: Top stories

A record-smashing domain sale: Top stories

This is the first in a series of posts covering top stories in the domain industry from 2019.

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In 2010, the domain name Sex.com sold for $13 million. It was a record for a cash transaction.

I’ve heard whispers of other, bigger domain sales since then. But none of them have ever been publicly confirmed.

So the Sex.com record stood as the highest price paid for a domain that was publicly disclosed. Until 2019.

That’s when Block.one, a blockchain firm, paid a staggering $30 million to acquire Voice.com from Microstrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR).

Block.one had some funny money to play with. It apparently raised $4 billion in an initial coin offering, despite having no product. The firm probably laughed when it paid the U.S. SEC only $24 million to settle securities claims.

The firm plans to launch a social network using the domain, but it still hasn’t launched.

Will this domain record last a decade as Sex.com did?

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

SDomain SalesSet resolved at a high price — .City contentionSDomain SalesSells domain names to GoDaddy — Kevin HamUser domain name sales — 21 endDomain SalesUser domain name sales — 21 endSDomain SalesScores Again with 2 More Domain Sales — Garry ChernoffWDomain SalesWhat domains a Kickstarter success, Christie’s and University of Oklahoma bought this stretchThe center of the domain name aftermarket: BostonDomain SalesThe center of the domain name aftermarket: BostonClass purchased Class.com ahead of this $105 million funding roundDomain SalesClass purchased Class.com ahead of this $105 million funding roundDo yourself a favor and buy the right domain name: ClickyDomain SalesDo yourself a favor and buy the right domain name: ClickyHDomain SalesHurricaneWilma.com listed on eBay