Terabytes.ai Goes Onchain: Category Assets in the AI Era

Doma Foundation

22 Feb 2026 — 3 min read

Tomorrow, February 23, terabytes.ai goes live on Doma.

Ahead of the launch, we sat down with domain investor José Ignacio Assum, Founder of WebDomains.io, to talk about AI-native assets, digital real estate, and why he believes premium .ai domains are evolving into category-defining infrastructure.

Here’s the full conversation.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background in domaining?

José: I started acquiring domains as long-term digital assets several years ago, initially focused on brandable .com names. Over time, I shifted strategically toward emerging verticals such as AI, fintech, energy, and future infrastructure.

My motivation has always been the same: identifying asymmetric opportunities early. I see premium domains as scarce digital real estate - finite, global, and increasingly strategic for companies building category-defining products.

Today, I actively manage and curate a portfolio strongly focused on AI-native names under .ai, alongside selected .com and .io assets positioned for long-term value appreciation.

Q: What was your first “aha moment” where you realized domains are real digital assets?

José: The turning point came when I saw companies raise millions while operating on weak or secondary domains and later acquiring the exact-match premium domain for significant amounts.

That’s when it became clear: domains are not expenses. They are strategic infrastructure assets.

Just like physical real estate, prime digital real estate becomes more valuable as markets mature.

Q: What made you acquire terabytes.ai specifically?

José: “Terabytes” is a universally recognized term associated with data scale, storage, computing power, and digital infrastructure.

As AI models grow exponentially in size and data consumption, the word “terabytes” directly connects to the backbone of AI development - data.

The name is powerful, category-defining, easy to remember, and globally understood. Combined with the .ai extension, it aligns naturally with AI-native companies operating at scale.

Q: What do you see as the long-term value thesis behind this name? Why .ai?

José: The thesis is simple: AI is fundamentally data-driven.

As models grow, compute grows.
As compute grows, data grows.
Terabytes are the unit of that growth.

The .ai extension has evolved from a niche ccTLD into the default namespace for AI-native startups. It signals technological positioning instantly.

Strong keyword + .ai combinations are becoming category assets, not just websites. They represent identity, authority, and positioning in a competitive global AI market.

Q: What excites you most about domains moving onchain?

José: Three things: transparency, liquidity, and programmability.

Putting domains onchain enables:

Fractional ownership
Real-time price discovery
Global participation without traditional friction

It transforms domains from static assets into dynamic, financialized digital instruments.

Q: Where do you see the domain space heading this year?

José: I see two clear trends:

Continued premium demand for strong AI-related keywords under .ai
Increasing financialization of domains: tokenization, secondary liquidity, and more sophisticated investor participation

The market is maturing. Serious buyers are becoming more strategic.

Q: What made you decide to launch terabytes.ai on Doma?

José: Doma represents the next logical step in domain evolution for me, merging digital real estate with onchain infrastructure. Plus, the onboarding process was smooth and professional.

I expect this format to attract Web3-native investors, AI founders comfortable with crypto and asset-focused digital investors seeking asymmetric upside

Q: Any advice for domain investors curious but hesitant about Web3?

José: Start by understanding that Web3 isn’t replacing domains, it’s enhancing them. You don’t need to abandon traditional marketplaces. Onchain exposure simply expands liquidity channels.

Early adoption in financialized domains may offer similar asymmetric upside to early .ai investing.