IPv4 Market is Thriving: A Surge in Transfers

After a period of relative stability, the IPv4 market is seeing a significant resurgence. New data shows a sharp increase in IPv4 transfers, signaling strong demand for these valuable digital assets.

In February 2025, IPv4 transfers jumped to 176, up from 150 in January. This represents a +17.3% month-over-month increase, showing that activity in the market is picking up quickly. Even more striking is the comparison to historical averages—February’s total is a +176% increase over the 2024 average of 145 and a +24.8% increase over the 2023 average of 141. These numbers highlight a renewed appetite for IPv4 addresses and indicate that the market is more active than it has been in years.

Several key factors are contributing to this renewed growth in IPv4 subnet sales & total number of IPs transferred:

1. IPv4 Scarcity Continues to Drive Demand

With no new IPv4 addresses being issued, the available supply is finite. As businesses expand and new ISPs enter the network space, demand remains high while IPv4 inventory continues to shrink at rapid rates. This scarcity has turned IPv4 into a valuable commodity, encouraging more transfers as organizations secure the resources they need to grow.

2. IPv6 Adoption is Still Lagging

Although IPv6 was introduced as a long-term solution, adoption has been slow, particularly among enterprises and legacy systems that still rely on IPv4. Many companies prefer to continue using IPv4 rather than transition to IPv6, which requires significant infrastructure investments and resources. This reluctance to fully switch to IPv6 keeps the demand for IPv4 addresses strong.

3. BEAD Progress is Driving Internet Expansion

The $42 Billion BEAD Program is accelerating network expansion across several U.S. states, further fueling demand for IPv4 addresses. As states receive funding and begin large-scale broadband deployment projects, ISPs and network operators need more IPv4 addresses to expand infrastructure in underserved areas.

Several states, including Texas, Florida, and Ohio, have already secured substantial BEAD funding and are moving forward with broadband rollouts. With these projects picking up momentum, the demand for IPv4 addresses is expected to rise as service providers require additional address space to accommodate new users. The BEAD program is a major catalyst in bridging the digital divide, but it is also reinforcing the necessity of IPv4 for network expansion.

What Does This Mean for the Market?

For buyers, the increasing transfer activity means that now is the time to secure IPv4 addresses before prices rise further. Availability and supply is not pacing at the same rate as rapidly growing increase in demand. Like any market, the cost of acquiring IPv4 addresses is likely to follow suit. Organizations looking to expand their networks should act sooner rather than later.

For sellers, this trend presents an excellent opportunity to capitalize on the increasing value of IPv4 addresses. If you have unused IPv4 addresses, now could be the perfect moment to readdress and prepare for sale.

With the current trajectory, 2025 and 2026 could become record breaking years for IPv4 transfers. If trends continue at this pace, the market will likely 20% – 30% price increases towards the end of this year.