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ICE.com sold for $3.5 Million in private domain name sale

In what will likely be the most valuable publicly-known, single-domain transaction of 2018, the super-premium domain name “ICE.com” has been sold in a private, confidential transaction for $3.5 million. Crypto.com was reportedly sold for $12 Million but this price was never confirmed buy the buyer or the seller.

ICE.com was originally registered in 1990.

Buyer details were not released. The domain name ice.com is not currently resolving and whois is no help. My guess is that the buyer is InterContinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) that is operating at theice.com. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that connects a community of participants in all major markets at key phases of the investing, trading, hedging and capital raising lifecycle. But I could easily be wrong but I had to make the easy guess because if it is not them then they missed on a big opportunity.

The seller was an online business selling consumer jewelry products. They founded their business in 1999. The seller moved its website from ICE.com to icetrends.com. They registered the new domain name on June 30, 2018.

Glimmer, Inc. (http://www.glimmer.ai) acquired a controlling stake in the ICE company in late December 2017. CSC Generation, who previously held 100% control, maintained a large stake in the business, including a board seat. It is possible that Glimmer turned a big profit just by selling the ice.com domain name.

It was Climmer that decided to sell the domain name and the brokers then contacted a couple of potential buyers. The initial contact between buyer and seller was made in June. Within a couple of hours the buyer had agreed to pay the $3.5 Million asking price. The deal closed on Escrow.com on July 6!

More details given about the sale by the domain brokers involved

As the internet has matured, single-word “.COM” domains have increased in value due to their exceptional branding and marketing potential. Shorter domains – such as the three-letter ICE.com – often command even higher premiums. Until now, ICE.com served as the internet address for a successful eCommerce business selling consumer jewelry products. Under current market conditions, the value of the domain asset grew to exceed the value of the business itself.

Grit Brokerage represented the seller and Brannans.com represented the buyer in the transaction, which has successfully closed – facilitated by Escrow.com.*

“For less than the cost of a single, 30-second Super Bowl ad, we were able to acquire a powerful, single-word domain name with significant long-term value for our client,” said David Clements, CEO of Brannan’s. “Major enterprises are recognizing the value and competitive advantages these premium domains deliver.”

Brian Harbin, owner of Grit Brokerage, added, “I’m enthusiastic that my client was able to fully monetize the digital asset they’d developed over 19 years – realizing significant gains over the previous sale price. I’m grateful and humbled to be part of a deal that was a win-win-win for everyone involved. And I’m honored to be a small part of the initiative to advance the domain industry by educating consumers on the value of digital assets.”

About Brannan’s

Domain Names are the most valuable business assets of the internet age – serving as both virtual real estate and corporate brand. Brannan’s is one of the world’s leading buy-side and sell-side brokers of premium domains with more than a decade of experience helping owners capture the value of their digital assets and enterprise organizations locate and acquire the domain properties that maximize their brand. Learn more: https://www.brannans.com

About Grit Brokerage

Grit Brokerage specializes in marketing, negotiating, and acquiring domain names and existing web businesses. A 2015 “Domain Broker of the Year” nominee, Grit Brokerage delivers world-class customer service by streamlining transactions with personalized attention. Learn more: https://www.gritbrokerage.com

* Escrow.com is owned by Freelancer.com [ASX: FLN] [AU: FLN].

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About Konstantinos Zournas

I studied Computer Engineering and Computer Science in London, UK and I am now living in Athens, Greece. I went online in 1995, started coding in 1996 and began buying domain names and creating websites in 2000. I started the OnlineDomain.com blog in 2012.

2 comments

  1. When I first read the headline I was sure the domain was acquired by someone anti or pro Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I would prefer it if your guess was right, rather than my own.

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