I was looking through some old purchase inquiries today to touch base and express continued interest in acquiring specific domain names. One such name I came across in my email is Republic.com. I tried to buy the asset a few years ago and did not have success with it. Upon checking to see how the domain name is being used today, I noticed what appears to be a new website.

A bit of research showed that the domain name was acquired by a crypto company called Republic. Its LinkedIn page says the company was founded in 2016. The startup had been using Republic.CO for its website, and I can only assume it must have spent quite a bit of money to acquire the brand match Republic.com domain name for its business. The .CO domain name is now forwarding to Republic.com.

The upgraded domain name was announced on the company’s Twitter page earlier this week, where it cited “a new phase of growth and maturity” as a reason for the acquisition and upgrade to Republic.com:

One more thing …https://t.co/DcJfRCr4TE
is now https://t.co/usJeXexq6t pic.twitter.com/LETAO5wvSQ

— Republic (@joinrepublic) January 10, 2022

From what I can tell using the Whois History tool at DomainTools, it would appear the domain name changed hands in October of 2021. The domain name transferred from CSC to Google’s domain registrar under Whois privacy. It had been registered to a company in England for quite some time prior to the registrant and registrar change.

I am going to reach out to Republic to see if they can share the acquisition price for Republic.com, and if I hear back, I will provide an update. Regardless of whether Republic shares the acquisition price of Republic.com, it was a smart acquisition and an invaluable upgrade.