IPv4 Market Report 2026
Market Size, Pricing Data & Industry Trends
Last updated: March 2026 | Source: ipv4.center Marketplace Data
Executive Summary
The global IPv4 address market continues to grow as IPv4 exhaustion drives organizations to the secondary market. According to ipv4.center market data, the average IPv4 address price in 2026 is approximately $25 per IP, with /24 blocks trading between $6,400 and $9,000. The RIPE NCC region remains the most active transfer market, followed by ARIN and APNIC.
Key Market Statistics
Overview of the global IPv4 address market as of Q1 2026
IPv4 Pricing by Block Size
Average transaction prices across all RIR regions
| Block | IPs | Avg Price | Per IP | Change vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /24 | 256 | $7,700 | $30 | +3% |
| /23 | 512 | $15,400 | $30 | +2% |
| /22 | 1,024 | $30,700 | $30 | +4% |
| /21 | 2,048 | $61,400 | $30 | +1% |
| /20 | 4,096 | $108,500 | $26.50 | +2% |
| /19 | 8,192 | $217,000 | $26.50 | +3% |
| /18 | 16,384 | $385,000 | $23.50 | +1% |
| /17 | 32,768 | $770,000 | $23.50 | +2% |
| /16 | 65,536 | $1,310,000 | $20 | +1% |
| Source: ipv4.center Marketplace Data, Q1 2026 | ||||
Pricing by RIR Region
Average per-IP pricing and transfer activity across all five Regional Internet Registries
| Region | Avg $/IP | Transfer Volume | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIPE NCC | $30 | High | Stable |
| ARIN | $29 | High | +5% |
| APNIC | $29 | Medium | +3% |
| LACNIC | $26 | Low | Stable |
| AFRINIC | $22.50 | Low | +2% |
Market Trends for 2026
Key forces shaping the IPv4 address market this year
IPv4 Exhaustion Deepens
With all five RIRs having exhausted their free pools, the secondary market is now the only source for IPv4 addresses. This structural scarcity continues to support pricing.
IPv6 Adoption: Progress but Still Slow
While IPv6 adoption has reached approximately 40% globally, dual-stack requirements mean organizations still need IPv4 addresses for legacy compatibility and certain services.
Growing Demand from Cloud & Hosting
Cloud service providers, hosting companies, and CDN operators are the fastest-growing buyers. AI infrastructure deployments are adding new demand pressure.
Regulatory and Compliance Changes
Increased scrutiny of IP address ownership, transfer documentation requirements, and anti-abuse measures are shaping how addresses change hands across registries.
IPv4 Exhaustion Timeline
When each Regional Internet Registry exhausted its free pool of IPv4 addresses
First RIR to exhaust its free pool of IPv4 addresses
Reached last /8 block, began rationing final allocations
Exhausted free pool, moved to waiting list allocation
Depleted free pool entirely, no new allocations available
Last RIR to reach IPv4 free pool exhaustion
Regional Market Deep Dive
The global IPv4 market is shaped by distinct regional dynamics across the five RIR service areas. RIPE NCC remains the dominant transfer market, accounting for the majority of global IPv4 transactions. European demand is driven by cloud infrastructure expansion, hosting providers, and telecommunications operators who continue to rely heavily on IPv4 for service delivery. RIPE NCC's streamlined transfer process — with no transfer fee and typical processing times of 1–2 weeks — makes it the most efficient registry for address transfers.
ARIN (North America) represents the second-largest market, with growing demand from U.S.-based cloud providers, data center operators, and enterprise networks. ARIN's needs-based justification requirement adds complexity but also ensures legitimate utilization of transferred addresses. Prices in the ARIN region have trended upward by approximately 5% in 2026, reflecting strong demand from AI infrastructure buildouts and enterprise cloud migrations.
APNIC (Asia Pacific) shows increasing transfer activity, particularly from growth markets in Southeast Asia, India, and Australia. LACNIC and AFRINIC markets remain smaller in volume but offer opportunities for buyers seeking more competitive pricing. AFRINIC's restriction to intra-RIR transfers only limits its addressable market but also creates a more contained pricing environment for organizations operating exclusively in Africa.
Methodology
This report is based on aggregated marketplace data from ipv4.center transactions, supplemented by publicly available RIR transfer statistics and industry sources. Pricing data reflects actual completed transactions on the ipv4.center platform across all five RIR regions.
Transfer volume estimates are derived from public RIR transfer logs, RIPE NCC statistics, ARIN transfer reports, and APNIC transfer data. Market size estimates incorporate both direct sales and lease transactions observed across the broader IPv4 secondary market.
Data period: January 2024 – March 2026. Prices are quoted in USD. Regional pricing differences reflect local supply-demand dynamics and transfer complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the IPv4 market, pricing, and trends
The global IPv4 secondary market is estimated at over $2.5 billion annually in 2026. This includes both outright sales and lease transactions across all five RIR regions. The market has grown approximately 12% year-over-year as IPv4 exhaustion continues to drive demand.
The average price per IPv4 address in 2026 is approximately $25, though prices vary significantly by block size and RIR region. Smaller blocks like /24 (256 IPs) trade at around $30 per IP, while larger blocks like /16 (65,536 IPs) trade at approximately $20 per IP. RIPE NCC addresses generally command the highest premiums.
RIPE NCC (Europe, Middle East, and Central Asia) remains the most active transfer market in 2026, followed by ARIN (North America) and APNIC (Asia Pacific). RIPE NCC accounts for the majority of global IPv4 transfers due to high demand from European hosting, cloud, and telecom providers.
Despite IPv6 being available for over two decades, global adoption is only around 40%. Many legacy systems, applications, and networks rely exclusively on IPv4. Organizations need IPv4 for backward compatibility, and dual-stack configurations still require IPv4 addresses. This structural dependency ensures continued demand and sustained pricing.
IPv4 prices have generally increased 1–5% compared to 2025, depending on the block size and RIR region. The rate of increase has moderated from the rapid appreciation seen in 2021–2023, as the market matures and supply from decommissioned legacy networks enters the market. However, the overall trend remains upward due to structural scarcity.