The first decade of the 21st century was both a trial by fire and a breakthrough for the secondary domain market. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2000–2001, many questioned whether premium domain names were truly assets or simply artifacts of a speculative frenzy. Yet by 2010, the evidence was clear: domains had become recognized as enduring digital assets, with landmark sales that rivaled traditional real estate.
Collapse, Consolidation, and Resilience
The early 2000s were marked by the dot-com crash, which wiped out billions in speculative equity. Many domain portfolios that had been accumulated in the late 1990s suddenly looked like liabilities, as renewal costs mounted while buyers disappeared.
But a core truth emerged: category-defining domains still retained value. While weaker names dropped, strong generics like Business.com, Sex.com, and Hotels.com continued to attract interest.
The secondary market began consolidating, with specialized brokers, early domain investors, and dedicated marketplaces (such as Sedo, founded in 2001) playing an increasingly central role.
Landmark Sales of the Decade
Several sales between 2000 and 2010 signaled the legitimacy of domains as high-value assets:
- Business.com (2007) – Sold for $345 million to RH Donnelley, the highest publicly reported domain sale ever.
- Sex.com (2005) – After years of legal battles, it sold for around $14 million, one of the earliest massive pure-domain sales.
- Fund.com (2008) – Purchased for $9.99 million, highlighting the value of finance-related domains.
- Slots.com (2010) – Sold for $5.5 million, showing the importance of online gaming domains.
- Hotels.com (2001) – Reportedly acquired for $11 million, cementing the case for exact-match travel domains.
These headline figures sent a strong message: despite economic downturns, the very best domains would not only retain but grow in value.
The Rise of Marketplaces and Domain Investing
The 2000–2010 period also saw the professionalization of domaining:
- Sedo (2001), Afternic, and Moniker emerged as global platforms for trading domains, increasing transparency and liquidity.
- The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP), introduced in 1999, became a central framework for resolving conflicts between trademark holders and domain owners.
- Domain conferences like TRAFFIC (founded in 2004) and DomainFest provided networking hubs for investors and brokers.
- Investors began to recognize the potential of building passive income through parking — monetizing undeveloped domains with ads.
A Market Matures
By the end of the decade, the secondary domain market had proven its resilience. Premium domains were no longer curiosities; they were strategic assets, traded globally and sought after by corporations, investors, and startups alike.
The crash had filtered out weaker names, leaving behind a core of high-value generics and memorable brands. By 2010, the domain industry was entering its second act, poised for further expansion with the coming boom of mobile internet and the growth of international markets.
Takeaway for Today’s Investors
The 2000–2010 decade demonstrated that while speculative bubbles may burst, the intrinsic value of strong, memorable domain names endures. It was the decade that moved domains from the fringes of speculation to the center of the digital economy — a foundation the market still builds on today.
Interested in what happened next? Read the follow-up:
👉 The Years of 2010 to 2020 in the Secondary Domain Market
