What Is Behind the Si Domain Surge?
The si domain surge is drawing global attention after President Trump signed an executive order requiring government agencies to use “SI” and “super intelligence” instead of “AI” and “artificial intelligence.” The move has triggered a sharp rise in registrations for Slovenia’s country-code domain, echoing the earlier boom that made Anguilla’s .ai domain famous.
According to Klara Herman, a spokesperson at Registry SI, purchases of .si domain names jumped 2,199% in September. She was cautious about linking the increase solely to President Trump, but the timing is hard to ignore. The registry recorded 11,000 new addresses on September 30, the day after the order was signed, and nearly 13,000 new .si names in the following 24 hours.
Hosting Platforms Report Mixed Signals
Not every platform is seeing the same wave. GoDaddy said it does not yet host the .si domain. Squarespace had not responded at the time of publication. Wix said it was not seeing any “meaningful uptick” and described activity as minimal since September 29, though a spokesperson noted, “It’s still early so that could change.”
Hostinger told reporters a different story. On its platform, .si is now the second most popular domain extension, right behind .com. The company found that almost 4,300 customers registered .si on September 30 and about 5,400 on October 1. More than three-quarters of all .si domains registered since September 23 came in the last two days, and more than half of buyers came from the U.S. and India.
Curiously, only around 3% of .si domains on Hostinger are explicitly related to AI. Most are “unclassified,” meaning their names do not match any specific category. Hostinger said most buyers appear to be people and businesses, though speculation is possible, with some purchasing domains to resell later.
Why Buyers Are Betting on .si
Kim Than, CEO of Genius PR, specializes in working with AI and crypto founders. He already bought the .si version of his company name “to protect the brand in case this takes off like .ai.” He acted because the domain was cheap and figured it was better to “secure it now than potentially pay a lot more later.”
Than sees domain names as digital collectibles and wants to pick up a few more while prices are still good. He may resell them later. He also noted that domains can be tokenized and traded on the blockchain, though he is not sure whether .si is supported yet.
“A few founder friends are buying too ’cause we think it’s the new AI boom,” he said. “Who knows how far it goes, but I’m happy to take a bet.”
The Executive Order Behind the Shift
President Trump’s executive order stated that “the capabilities of today’s frontier systems do much more than imitate or automate discrete aspects of human intelligence” and that they “increasingly represent not merely artificial intelligence but a new super intelligence.” That language has given the .si extension an unexpected cultural and commercial push.
The order mandates all government agencies to refer to AI as SI, a change that has rippled through the tech and investment communities. For many, the rebranding signals a new era in how artificial intelligence is perceived and discussed at the highest levels of government.
Will .si Replace .ai?
Klaudijus Januitis, head of domains at Hostinger, expects demand for .si to keep growing, but he does not see it replacing .ai anytime soon. Instead, he described .si as a more available and “more affordable second option.”
“Slovenia will not see what Anguilla saw,” he said. Anguilla charges a “premium” for .ai, and that money goes straight to the government. By contrast, .si costs a fraction of the price and goes to the registry rather than the treasury.
On Hostinger, .si costs around $12 a year, while .ai goes for $90 and requires a two-year commitment. “For Anguilla, .ai became a second economy. For Slovenia, .si is a nice bonus.”
The Role of Speculation and Resale
The si domain surge is not solely driven by businesses seeking a permanent home. A significant speculative element is at play. Some buyers are purchasing .si domains with the explicit intention of reselling them at a higher price later.
One founder noted that .si domains were already reselling for over a million dollars. While that figure may represent an extreme case, it illustrates the potential upside that early buyers are hoping to capture. Domain names have long been treated as digital real estate, and the current climate has only intensified that view.
Than’s approach reflects this mindset. He purchased his company’s .si domain primarily for brand protection but acknowledged that resale is part of his strategy. The ability to tokenize domains and trade them on the blockchain adds another layer of appeal for those comfortable with crypto and Web3 technologies.
What This Means for Businesses
For founders and brand owners, the si domain surge highlights a familiar pattern: when a country-code extension becomes tied to a major tech trend, early registrations can be cheap and strategic. Whether .si becomes the next .ai or remains a niche alternative, the current wave shows how policy language can shape digital markets overnight.
Businesses considering the extension should weigh brand protection, resale potential, and long-term relevance. The low annual cost of around $12 makes it a relatively low-risk bet for those who want to secure their name before prices potentially rise.
For Slovenian businesses, the surge may also bring increased international visibility to the .si extension. While the domain has always been the standard for Slovenia, its new association with “super intelligence” could give it an unexpected global identity.
The si domain surge is a direct response to a single executive order that reframed how the U.S. government talks about artificial intelligence. Whether the momentum sustains or fades, it has already delivered a measurable boost to Slovenia’s domain registry and created a new opportunity for speculators and brand-conscious founders alike.
As Januitis suggested, .si is unlikely to displace .ai as the go-to extension for AI companies. But as a cheaper, more available alternative, it has carved out a space for itself in the current tech landscape. For now, the numbers tell a clear story: registrations are climbing, and buyers are placing their bets.
