IPv4 Demand Rebounds – April 2023

The IPv4 transfer marketplace twists and turns continue to pave the way for what might be an unpredictable year. The last 12 to 15 months have demonstrated a whirlwind of changes, in what was an otherwise a predicable asset class for over 5 years prior.  As we look to the future, we can only hope to expect more predictability we had grown accustomed to from the inception of the IPv4 market.

As it stands today, the IPv4 address market has taken a healthy turn in the right direction.  IPv4 transfer requests have increased from 118 to 153 in March 2023, showing a significant increase of over +29%.  The average for 2023 is also looking promising at around 140 IPv4 transfer requests, which is +5% higher than the 132 average of 2022.

While IPv4 demand has increased, we are also starting to see much less IPv4 address blocks available in the market as compared to the previous year.  If the supply continues to sell out quickly and demand stays on the same course, we can expect to see IPv4 price stabilize this year.  More importantly, prices will likely begin to increase again in 2024.

Here are some key takeaways for organizations that are looking to either sell or buy IP addresses in the near future…

IPv4 Buyers – take advantage of the currently low IPv4 prices and stock for future growth. We have never had this large of a price reduction in the history of the market and not likely see this again.  This is one of the few assets a company can own that generates revenue and increases in value. As a reminder, normal IPv4 market rates increase around 25% per year according to historic trends.

IPv4 Sellers – If you have large IPv4 subnet with scattered usage, this is a great time to truly consider a IPv4 readdressing strategy.  There is no hurry to sell IPv4 addresses due to surplus in the market.  Our team has resources to assist with readdressing and IP management solutions.