# Which guide answers my short domain question?

> 12 Pearlcay guides on short country-code domains: island index, domain hacks, .ai price, cost and statistics, premium names. No KYC, paid in crypto.

- URL: https://pearlcay.com/guides/
- Last updated: 2026-11-02
- Publisher: Pearlcay (https://pearlcay.com)

Every guide of the site in one place, grouped by question. Learn what stands behind an ending, compare the cost of a .ai over time, then buy or move a domain.

**Quick answer — What do Pearlcay's guides on short domains cover?**

**Pearlcay** publishes 12 guides on short country-code domains, dated 2 November 2026. Seven explain what stands behind an ending: the island index, domain hacks and hack ideas, the .ai 2-year minimum, why a .ai is expensive, registry premium names and retired codes. Three follow the numbers: a .ai over 10 years, registry price rises and .ai statistics. Two walk you through buying and transferring a .ai, which costs $86.99/year here.

## Understand: what stands behind a short ending?

A short ending is never just letters. Most of them are the country codes of small islands, and each registry sets its own term, rules and prices. These seven guides explain how it works.

- **[Which domain extensions belong to islands?](https://pearlcay.com/island-domains/ "Which domain extensions belong to islands?")** — The 2026 index: for each extension we sell, its island or country, registry, technical operator, minimum term, rules and our price. Citable data under CC BY 4.0.
- **[What is a domain hack?](https://pearlcay.com/domain-hacks/ "What is a domain hack?")** — When the ending finishes the word. Real, well-known examples with their source, how to find one that is still free, and the traps to avoid.
- **[Which domain hacks can I make with my name?](https://pearlcay.com/domain-hack-ideas/ "How do I find a domain hack for my own name?")** — Real English words for each of the 15 endings we sell, with the warnings per extension. Ideas, not availability: search a name before you count on it.
- **[Why is a .ai sold for at least 2 years?](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-two-year-minimum/ "Why is a .ai domain sold for at least 2 years?")** — The registry rule behind the 2-year block, and what it means for your first payment and every renewal.
- **[Why are .ai domains so expensive?](https://pearlcay.com/why-are-ai-domains-so-expensive/ "Why are .ai domains so expensive?")** — The registry price of $80 a year since 5 March 2026, the 2-year rule and where the money goes in Anguilla, with sources.
- **[Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?](https://pearlcay.com/registry-premium-domains/ "Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?")** — Premium names are priced by the registry, not by the registrar. Why they cost more, and what that means for your order.
- **[What happens when a country code is retired?](https://pearlcay.com/retired-country-code-domains/ "What happens when a country code domain is retired?")** — What became of the domains under .yu, .tp, .an and .su, and the question of .io after the agreement on the Chagos Islands, with sources and without speculation.

## Compare: what does a .ai cost, and how has it changed?

The yearly price is only the start. These three pages add up a decade of a .ai, track the registry price rises and count the .ai names.

- **[How much does a .ai cost over 10 years?](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-cost-over-10-years/ "How much does a .ai domain cost over 10 years?")** — The full cost at Pearlcay and at the registrars of our dated survey, next to a .io and a .com. Every competitor price carries its date and source.
- **[Have .ai, .io or .gg prices gone up?](https://pearlcay.com/domain-price-increases/ "Have .ai, .io or .gg prices gone up?")** — Each registry price rise we could source, with its date: .ai in March 2026, .io in January 2027, and the older ones.
- **[How many .ai domains are there?](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-statistics/ "How many .ai domains are there?")** — Registered names, registry revenue, wholesale price and rules of the .ai, each figure dated and sourced. Citable data under CC BY 4.0.

## Buy and move: how do I do it on Pearlcay?

Two step-by-step guides for the .ai. For the general process, see [how it works](https://pearlcay.com/how-it-works/ "How do I register a short domain with crypto and no KYC?").

- **[How do I buy a .ai domain with USDT or Bitcoin?](https://pearlcay.com/buy-ai-domain-with-crypto/ "How do I buy a .ai domain with USDT or Bitcoin?")** — Search, top up in crypto, register and verify the email, step by step on Pearlcay. Coins accepted: BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC.
- **[How do I transfer a .ai domain, and what does it cost?](https://pearlcay.com/transfer-ai-domain/ "How do I transfer a .ai domain to another registrar?")** — The transfer code, the steps in and out, and the price of a .ai transfer, whether you arrive or leave.

## Which guide should I read first?

- **You are choosing a name**: start with [domain hacks](https://pearlcay.com/domain-hacks/ "What is a domain hack?"), then the [island index](https://pearlcay.com/island-domains/ "Which domain extensions belong to islands?") to see which ending fits.
- **You want ideas for your own name**: browse [domain hack ideas](https://pearlcay.com/domain-hack-ideas/ "How do I find a domain hack for my own name?").
- **You wonder why a .ai costs so much**: read [why .ai domains are expensive](https://pearlcay.com/why-are-ai-domains-so-expensive/ "Why are .ai domains so expensive?"), then the [price increases](https://pearlcay.com/domain-price-increases/ "Have .ai, .io or .gg prices gone up?") and the [.ai statistics](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-statistics/ "How many .ai domains are there?").
- **You have chosen a .ai**: read the [2-year minimum](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-two-year-minimum/ "Why is a .ai domain sold for at least 2 years?"), then the [cost over 10 years](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-cost-over-10-years/ "How much does a .ai domain cost over 10 years?").
- **A price looks higher than the table**: read [registry premium names](https://pearlcay.com/registry-premium-domains/ "Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?").
- **You wonder what happens if a country code disappears**: read the guide on [retired country codes](https://pearlcay.com/retired-country-code-domains/ "What happens when a country code domain is retired?").
- **You are ready to pay**: follow [buy a .ai with crypto](https://pearlcay.com/buy-ai-domain-with-crypto/ "How do I buy a .ai domain with USDT or Bitcoin?"), or see the [price table](https://pearlcay.com/pricing/ "How much does a short domain cost per year?").

## Pearlcay pages that answer the rest

- **[How it works](https://pearlcay.com/how-it-works/ "How do I register a short domain with crypto and no KYC?")** — Search, crypto top-up, registration in your name, email check, DNS and transfer out.
- **[Pricing](https://pearlcay.com/pricing/ "How much does a short domain cost per year?")** — Every extension with its first-year, renewal and transfer price per year.
- **[Domain protection](https://pearlcay.com/domain-protection-option/ "What is Domain protection, and do I need it?")** — The option at +$29/year: registered in our company name, with human review of complaints.
- **[All extensions](https://pearlcay.com/extensions/ "Short domain extensions")** — The page of each short extension we sell, with its registry and rules.

## How are the guides kept up to date?

Each guide carries the date of its last update. Our own prices come from one price list, so every guide shows the same figure as the [pricing page](https://pearlcay.com/pricing/ "How much does a short domain cost per year?"). A price from another registrar, when a guide shows one, carries its date and its source.

Pearlcay checked 10 registrars and 20 extensions for these guides on 2 November 2026. The gap is real: on .ai alone, the renewal read in US dollars on the registrars' own pages ran from $79.98 to $114.98 a year.

Facts about a registry or about the history of a code are given with the source that supports them. If you find an error, write to support@pearlcay.com with the page, the sentence and your source; the [contact page](https://pearlcay.com/contact/ "How do I contact Pearlcay?") explains how.

## Guides: questions

### Where should I start if I know nothing about island domains?

Start with the [island domain index](https://pearlcay.com/island-domains/ "Which domain extensions belong to islands?"). It lists each extension we sell with its island or country, its registry and its rules. Then read the guide for the ending you are considering.

### Are the prices in the guides the same as on the pricing page?

Yes. Our own prices come from the same list as the [pricing page](https://pearlcay.com/pricing/ "How much does a short domain cost per year?"), dated 2 November 2026. A .ai costs $86.99/year everywhere on the site.

### Can I reuse your data in an article?

Yes. The island domain index is published under CC BY 4.0: quote it with a link to the page. For the other guides, quote them with a link and the date shown on the page.

### Do the guides compare Pearlcay with other registrars?

Where it helps, yes. The [10-year cost of a .ai](https://pearlcay.com/ai-domain-cost-over-10-years/ "How much does a .ai domain cost over 10 years?") sets our price beside the registrars of a dated survey. Every competitor price shows its date and its source, and our row stays in the table where another registrar costs less.

### How do I report a mistake in a guide?

Email support@pearlcay.com with *Correction* in the subject, the page address and your source. We check it, fix the page if it is wrong and change its date.

**Find your two letters** Search a name in .ai, .io, .gg and more, and see its renewal price before you pay. [Search a domain](https://pearlcay.com/app/domains/?lang=en) · [See pricing](https://pearlcay.com/pricing/ "How much does a short domain cost per year?")

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Pearlcay: Pearlcay registers short country-code domains, most of them island extensions: .ai (Anguilla), .io (Chagos Islands), .gg (Guernsey), .sh (Saint Helena), .tv (Tuvalu) and ten more, paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, only one verified email per domain. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama; domains are registered through its ICANN-accredited registrar partner. A .ai costs $86.99/year, sold for at least 2 years.