Caribbean ccTLDs: .ai, .vc, .ky, .vg

## The Caribbean's Domain Dividend The Caribbean's small island nations and British Overseas Territories hold ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain)s that have, in some cases, become far more famous in global tech and finance circles than the islands themselves. Anguilla's `.ai` is on a trajectory to become one of the most commercially significant ccTLDs in the world. St. Vincent's `.vc` is used by venture capital firms. The Cayman Islands' `.ky` appears on financial products worldwide. The British Virgin Islands' `.vg` has multiple active niches. Together they illustrate how geographic coincidence between a two-letter ISO code and an industry term can create outsized economic value for small territories. TLD Finder ## .ai — Anguilla's Artificial Intelligence Jackpot Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the northeastern Caribbean with a population of approximately 18,000 people. Its IANA-delegated ccTLD is `.ai` — which happens to be the universal abbreviation for artificial intelligence. The timing of the AI industry's explosive growth could not have been more favorable for Anguilla's ccTLD revenues. **Registry operations:** `.ai` is operated by the government of Anguilla through a licensing arrangement. For many years it was a relatively quiet ccTLD, used primarily for Anguillan entities. The AI boom changed everything: from 2020 onward, tech startups, AI companies, research labs, and AI-adjacent tools have flooded into `.ai` registrations. **Registration volume and growth:** `.ai` had approximately **250,000 registrations** by end of 2025, up from roughly 50,000 in 2019 — a 5x increase in six years. The growth rate is accelerating: every major AI lab, startup, and AI-adjacent SaaS company now considers `.ai` as a primary domain option. **Notable users:** Anthropic, Scale, Character.ai and thousands of AI products and tools use `.ai`. The extension has become so associated with AI that using `.ai` in a product name is essentially a categorization signal. **Revenue for Anguilla:** Registration fees flow back to the Anguillan government as a meaningful revenue stream. With `.ai` registrations priced at $50–130 per year (significantly above average due to demand), the revenue per registration is substantial. This represents an extraordinary windfall for a territory whose economy previously depended almost entirely on tourism and offshore financial services. **Open registration:** `.ai` is completely open — no Anguillan presence, no documentation, immediate registration available through most major registrars. ## .vc — St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Venture Capital Home St. Vincent and the Grenadines' ccTLD `.vc` maps directly to the common abbreviation for venture capital. Venture capital firms, investment platforms, VC-backed startups, and the broader startup finance ecosystem have adopted `.vc` as a natural domain choice. **Market positioning:** Unlike `.ai`, which has achieved mass adoption across an entire industry, `.vc` has a more targeted user base: it is specifically the domain of choice for VC firms, investment-related platforms, and startups that want to signal their VC connection. **Registration characteristics:** `.vc` is open to worldwide registration. Registry operations are relatively straightforward, with international registrars handling most registrations. **Scale:** `.vc` is smaller than `.ai` with approximately **50,000–75,000 registrations**, reflecting its more targeted use case versus `.ai`'s industry-wide adoption. ## .ky — Cayman Islands' Financial Domain The Cayman Islands, one of the world's premier offshore financial centers, holds `.ky`. The ISO code appears naturally in Caymanian business names and is used by the financial services industry operating out of Grand Cayman. **Use case:** `.ky` is used primarily by businesses registered in or operating from the Cayman Islands — hedge funds, investment vehicles, law firms, and financial service providers. Unlike `.ai` or `.vc`, `.ky` does not have a strong global industry adoption beyond actual Cayman-connected entities. **Registration characteristics:** `.ky` requires a Cayman Islands presence for full registration, though arrangements exist for international businesses with Cayman entities (a common structure for hedge funds and private equity vehicles). **Market size:** `.ky` has modest registration volume — approximately **15,000–20,000 registrations** — but high per-domain value given the financial services context. ## .vg — British Virgin Islands' Multiple Niches The British Virgin Islands (BVI) holds `.vg`. Like the Caymans, the BVI is a major offshore financial jurisdiction — many holding companies, SPVs (special purpose vehicles), and international business companies (IBCs) are incorporated there. `.vg` serves BVI-connected financial entities, but it has also found a second life in gaming circles: in some gaming communities, "VG" abbreviates "video games." **Dual-use market:** The BVI's `.vg` attracts both genuine BVI financial entities and gaming/entertainment companies looking for a distinctive extension. This dual demand creates a modest but stable registration base. **Registration:** `.vg` is open to worldwide registration. Registry operations are handled through standard international registrar channels. ## Other Notable Caribbean ccTLDs **`.tt` (Trinidad and Tobago):** The largest Caribbean economy by GDP. `.tt` is used domestically and by international businesses with Caribbean presence. **`.jm` (Jamaica):** Used for Jamaican businesses and increasingly by international brands targeting the Caribbean market. **`.bb` (Barbados):** Barbados's ccTLD serves the island's sophisticated financial and professional services sector. **`.cu` (Cuba):** Cuba's ccTLD is notable for its strict government control, reflecting Cuba's regulated internet environment. International registration is virtually impossible, and the registry is directly government-operated. ## The Pattern: Small Territories, Outsized Impact The Caribbean ccTLD story mirrors the Pacific island story: tiny territories hold assets — their ISO country codes — whose value depends entirely on semantic coincidence with industry terms or abbreviations. The geographic meaning of `.ai` (Anguilla) is irrelevant to the AI industry adopting it; what matters is the two letters and their association with artificial intelligence. This pattern has several implications: 1. **Revenue distribution:** The territory receives royalties or registration fees that can significantly impact small-country finances 2. **Governance sensitivity:** High-value ccTLDs face pressure from registrants if governance fails 3. **Global TLD Trust Signal dynamics:** Extensions like `.ai` and `.vc` have developed their own trust signals independent of geographic meaning 4. **ICANN policy questions:** Whether and how IANA's country-code delegation framework should account for commercially repurposed ccTLDs is an ongoing governance discussion See How ccTLDs Become Global Brands for the broader analysis of how geographic ccTLDs transform into global brand assets.