When a founder searches for the right domain name, the first conclusion often sounds familiar: all the good ones are taken. In fact, this is mostly true: the internet now has over 371.7 million domain names registered, with roughly 158 million on .com alone. But instead of signaling defeat, that scarcity actually validates value.
Domain names, as digital assets, carry lasting value when they are intuitive, memorable, and tied closely to brand identity. Ownership reflects foresight, brand clarity, and the ability to shape category perception over time. The fact that the most intuitive, memorable, and high-conversion domain names are already registered simply confirms that they matter.
Of approximately 371 million domain registrations worldwide, nearly 158 million sit on .com. Over 763,000 domains changed hands in 2023, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in cumulative value. And the outliers are eye-popping: Voice.com fetched ~$30M in 2019, nfts.com ~$15M in 2022, and even icon.com went for $12M in 2025. These weren’t excess purchases. They were calculated investments in trust, CAC efficiency, and brand permanence.
The Myth: “Domains Don’t Matter”
Yet despite the numbers, some startup advisors still tell founders to focus on the product, not the domain name. They cite social virality, performance marketing, or “branding flexibility” as reasons to downgrade the name.
In practice, however, the majority of high-growth startups eventually upgrade to a Strategic-Grade domain name. The pattern is consistent: as companies mature, credibility, conversion, and investor perception start to hinge on owning the definitive version of their name.
You can launch on a compromise domain, but you can't scale on confusion.
Why? Because a domain name compounds. It reduces confusion, accelerates referral loops, absorbs direct type-in traffic, and solidifies investor perception. It makes trust the default rather than the exception.
Common myths like “people find you through apps anyway” collapse under scrutiny. Audits of rebrands and fundraising rounds shows a consistent pattern: founders with clear, ownable domain names raise faster, spend less on performance marketing, and convert better
Creative Structures Make Deals Work
Still, acquisition doesn’t have to drain capital. While sticker shock is real, so is structural creativity. Strategic-Grade domain names, even the rare ones, can be acquired via various deal structures. Founders can secure a domain name with a modest upfront outlay, while domain owners retain upside tied to company growth.
Make Scarcity Your Strategy
The market doesn’t lack names. It lacks conversations. Strategic-Grade domain names are sitting idle in portfolios, often waiting for a serious buyer to justify their next phase.
In this ecosystem, trust and timing matter, but structure closes the gap.
Final Thoughts
All the good domain names being taken is not the end of the search, it’s the start of a strategy. Scarcity clarifies what’s valuable, and value is always accessible to those prepared to structure a deal around it.
👉 The best names aren’t gone, they are one conversation away. Post your request on DomainsForEquity.com and connect with domain name owners ready to structure creative deals for the name your brand deserves.