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This report analyzes the IPv4 transfer market for Q1 2023, based on completed IPv4Center marketplace transactions and official RIR transfer records.
Executive Summary
112 IPv4 transactions closed during Q1 2023, moving 609,792 addresses at an average clearing price of $43.57 per IP. Total estimated market turnover: $29,845,214.
Among registries, RIPE led on pricing — $45.29 per IP — while the overall market median sat at $43.20.
Market Overview
| Transactions | 112 |
| IP Addresses Traded | 609,792 |
| Estimated Market Value | $29,845,214 |
| Average Price / IP | $43.57 |
| Median Price / IP | $43.20 |
| RIR Transfers | 1,897 |
Price Dynamics
Per-IP pricing stayed more or less flat over the observed window. The spread: $35.00 to $53.00 per address, with block cleanliness, size, and RIR origin driving divergence.
Pricing by RIR
Per-registry pricing for Q1 2023:
- RIPE: $45.29 per IP across 32 transactions (28.6% of volume).
- ARIN: $43.01 per IP across 66 transactions (58.9% of volume).
- APNIC: $42.73 per IP across 11 transactions (9.8% of volume).
- LACNIC: $40.67 per IP across 3 transactions (2.7% of volume).
| RIR | Transactions | Avg $/IP | Median $/IP | IPs Traded | RIR Transfers | Next Month (proj.) | Year-End (proj.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIPE | 32 | $45.29 | $45.50 | 370,944 | 1,299 | — | — |
| ARIN | 66 | $43.01 | $42.00 | 229,632 | 598 | — | — |
| APNIC | 11 | $42.73 | $43.00 | 3,840 | 0 | — | — |
| LACNIC | 3 | $40.67 | $42.00 | 5,376 | 0 | — | — |
Transaction Volume
Supply & Block Sizes
The most liquid segment: /24, with 48 trades. Buyers continue to favor smaller, immediately routable blocks.
Registry Transfer Activity
Official transfer records: 1,897 IPv4 block movements during Q1 2023, RIPE at the top. RIR-recorded transfers remain the most reliable indicator of genuine market activity.
RIPE 68.5% · ARIN 31.5%
Long-Run Transfer Trends
The aggregate picture: 1,897 IPv4 transfers across 3 months, with March 2023 delivering peak volume. Below, we decompose transfer activity by registry — RIPE, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, and AFRINIC — to isolate where momentum is concentrating.
RIR Distribution: RIPE: 68.5%, ARIN: 31.5%, APNIC: 0.0%, LACNIC: 0.0%, AFRINIC: 0.0%
| RIR | RIR Transfers |
|---|---|
| RIPE | 1,299 |
| ARIN | 598 |
| RIR Transfers | 1,897 |
Outlook & Forecast
Using ordinary least-squares regression on the trailing monthly price series:
- RIPE: insufficient data for a reliable forecast.
- ARIN: insufficient data for a reliable forecast.
- APNIC: insufficient data for a reliable forecast.
- LACNIC: insufficient data for a reliable forecast.
- AFRINIC: insufficient data for a reliable forecast.
Insufficient historical depth to publish a reliable price forecast for this segment. Projections resume once additional data points accumulate.
Editor's Take: Buy vs. Lease
The buy-versus-lease calculus: at current rates, /24 blocks lease for approximately $150.00 per month and sell for roughly $11,154. That implies a payback period of 74.4 months (6.2 years) — a gross rental yield of 16.1% annually.
At 74.4 months, the payback period falls well below our 90-month threshold — the economics favor outright acquisition. Operators can buy IPv4 today and rent out IPv4 to offset cost immediately. At these levels, the asset is attractively priced for purchase.
| /24 Purchase price | $11,154 |
| /24 Lease price | $150 / mo |
| Payback period | 74.4 mo (6.2 yr) |
| Gross annual yield | 16.1% |
What This Means for You
Full-lifecycle coverage: buy IPv4 from verified sellers with managed escrow, sell IPv4 through streamlined transfer processes, lease IPv4 for elastic capacity, or rent out IPv4 to generate yield on idle address space.
IPv4 Pricing by Block Size
IPv4 pricing varies significantly by block size. Larger blocks like /16s (65,536 IPs) typically trade at lower per-IP prices because the buyer pool is narrower, while /24s (256 IPs) command a premium thanks to their superior liquidity. At current market rates, /24 blocks trade in the $35–45 range per IP, /22s around $28–38, /20s at $22–32, and /16s between $18–28 per IP.
| Block | IPs | Buy: /IP | Buy: Total | Lease: /IP/mo | Lease: Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /24 | 256 | $35–45 | $8,960–11,520 | $0.38–0.50 | $97–128 |
| /22 | 1,024 | $28–38 | $28,672–38,912 | $0.33–0.45 | $338–461 |
| /20 | 4,096 | $22–32 | $90,112–131,072 | $0.30–0.40 | $1,229–1,638 |
| /18 | 16,384 | $20–30 | $327,680–491,520 | $0.30–0.38 | $4,915–6,226 |
| /16 | 65,536 | $18–28 | $1,179,648–1,835,008 | $0.30–0.35 | $19,661–22,938 |
IPv4 Price History: 2011–2026
From 2011 to today, IPv4 pricing went through distinct phases. Early years (2011–2015): gradual price discovery as RIR pools exhausted. Mid-period (2016–2019): steady appreciation. The 2021–2022 spike: pandemic-era expansion meets speculative buying. Today's $18–45 range reflects a maturing market.
| Year | ~Price/IP | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | $7–12 | IANA free pool exhausted; Microsoft/Nortel deal ($11.25/IP) |
| 2012 | $8–12 | RIPE NCC reaches last /8; begins /22-only allocation |
| 2014 | $10–15 | LACNIC free pool exhausted |
| 2015 | $8–15 | ARIN free pool exhausted |
| 2017–18 | $12–18 | Leasing market grows; cloud demand rises |
| 2019 | $18–24 | RIPE NCC exhausts remaining free pool |
| 2021–22 | $50–60+ | Post-pandemic peak; hyperscaler build-outs |
| 2024 | $35–52 | AWS IPv4 charge ($0.005/IP/hr); large block correction |
| 2025–26 | $18–45 | Market bifurcation; /16s below $20 for first time since 2019 |
Market Structure: Who Is Buying & Selling
The IPv4 market composition has shifted. Demand is no longer dominated by hyperscalers — AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle absorbed roughly 150 million IPs over five years, but that phase has slowed. Today's buyers: ISPs in emerging markets, hosting providers, VPN operators, and AI infrastructure companies. Sellers: legacy telecoms, universities with oversized allocations, and holders splitting /16s for better per-IP pricing.
IPv4 vs. Other Asset Classes
IPv4 functions as a digital infrastructure asset class with real yield. At current rates, a /24 block generates roughly 16.1% gross annual yield through leasing — above commercial real estate (5–8%), bonds (4–5%), or S&P 500 dividends (~1.3%). For pre-2020 acquirers, yields exceed 25% annually. The trade-off: no central exchange, unique risks, and long-term IPv6 displacement.
| Asset Class | Typical Yield | Liquidity | Primary Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPv4 (current acquisition) | 16.1% | Moderate | IPv6 adoption, block quality |
| Commercial Real Estate | 5–8% | Low | Vacancy, rate cycle |
| Investment-Grade Bonds | 4–5% | High | Duration, credit risk |
| S&P 500 Dividends | ~1.3% | High | Market volatility |
| Money Market / T-Bills | ~4–5% | High | Rate cycle changes |
IPv6 Adoption & Why IPv4 Remains Essential
The IPv6 transition is real but much slower than predicted. Around 40–45% of internet traffic uses IPv6, but enterprise and carrier networks still rely on dual-stack. Legacy compatibility, email reputation, and regulatory requirements keep IPv4 firmly in place.
AI & Cloud Infrastructure Demand
The AI boom consumes IPv4 addresses at an accelerating pace. Every training cluster and inference endpoint needs routable addresses. The burst-driven pattern of AI workloads aligns with leasing rather than purchasing.
What Determines IPv4 Block Value
Several factors impact IPv4 block value: block size (smaller = more liquid), reputation (clean blocks command premiums), RIR region (ARIN/RIPE most traded, APNIC highest lease rates), documentation quality (RPKI, LOA, WHOIS), and routing status (announced blocks worth more than dark ones).
Sell vs. Lease: A Decision Framework
The sell-vs-lease decision: capital now versus recurring income. Selling delivers immediate liquidity but gives up the asset permanently. Leasing — with a payback period around 74.4 months and 16.1% annual yield — retains ownership. Under 7–8 years payback, leasing generally wins.
| /24 Purchase price | $11,154 |
| /24 Lease price | $150 / mo |
| Payback period | 74.4 mo (6.2 yr) |
| Gross annual yield | 16.1% |
RIPE NCC 24-Month Transfer Restriction
RIPE NCC enforces a 24-month holding requirement on transferred blocks. Acquired blocks cannot be re-transferred for two years. Leasing is unaffected — only ownership transfer is locked. Investment buyers should build this into ROI calculations.
Deal Size Distribution
| Value Band | Deals | Share |
|---|---|---|
| < $50K | 76 | 67.9% |
| $50K – $250K | 23 | 20.5% |
| $250K – $1M | 6 | 5.4% |
| > $1M | 7 | 6.3% |
BEAD Broadband Program Impact
The US government's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has allocated $42.45 billion to expand internet access in rural and underserved areas. As funds flow primarily to regional ISPs who need IPv4 addresses for network buildouts, industry participants expect significant tightening of IPv4 supply — particularly for mid-sized blocks (/20 to /22) favored by smaller providers. BEAD recipients must meet audit and lawful access requirements that complicate carrier-grade NAT usage, making unique IPv4 allocations the preferred deployment path.
Hyperscaler IPv4 Holdings
Major cloud providers have accumulated massive IPv4 portfolios. AWS alone holds an estimated 191 million IPv4 addresses worth approximately $6.7 billion at current market rates. Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Oracle have collectively absorbed roughly 150 million addresses over the past five years. While the pace of hyperscaler accumulation has slowed as these companies increasingly build IPv6-native infrastructure, their existing holdings represent a significant portion of the total allocated IPv4 space and are unlikely to return to the secondary market.
Macroeconomic Conditions & Market Impact
Macroeconomic conditions affect IPv4 pricing. Tight capital markets slow acquisitions, pushing prices down. High interest rates increase the opportunity cost of IPv4 purchases, favoring leasing. Government programs like the $42.45B US BEAD broadband expansion can create regional demand surges.
Methodology
Figures are based on completed IPv4Center marketplace transactions and RIR transfer statistics. Prices are expressed in US dollars per IP address. Forecasts use linear regression over the trailing 24 months and are estimates, not guarantees.
Source: IPv4Center.com market data and RIR transfer statistics.
This report is generated automatically for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the average IPv4 price in Q1 2023?
During Q1 2023, IPv4 addresses traded at an average of $43.57 per IP, with a median of $43.20.
Which RIR had the most expensive IPv4 addresses in Q1 2023?
RIPE recorded the highest average per-IP price during Q1 2023.
What's the IPv4 price forecast looking like?
Based on regression analysis of historical data, per-IP pricing is projected near — by . Keep in mind this is a projection, not a guarantee.
Should I buy or lease IPv4 right now?
At current price levels, buying pays back in roughly 74.4 months of equivalent lease payments. Below about 90 months, buying usually makes better long-term sense; above that, leasing helps preserve capital.