A \/8 handed out by IANA is the biggest chunk of address space anyone ever got in one go \u2014 16,777,216 addresses. Every single one. And here’s the thing: even though the IANA global pool ran dry back in 2011, the rules that governed those historic \/8 allocations still shape how scarcity works, what prices look like, and who can transfer what in today’s IPv4 market. If you’re a network engineer, an IT manager, or you run an ISP and you’re trying to buy address space in 2025, you need to understand this legacy. There’s no way around it.<\/p>\n
In this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n IANA \u2014 the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority \u2014 used to hand out IPv4 space in \/8 blocks, sometimes called “Class A equivalents,” to the Regional Internet Registries and, back in the early days, straight to big organizations. Each \/8 holds 16.7 million addresses. Getting one meant you were serious. Real infrastructure, real scale.<\/p>\n Over the years IANA distributed the 256 possible \/8 blocks among five RIRs, each covering a different part of the world:<\/p>\n February 3, 2011. That’s the date IANA allocated its final five \/8 blocks \u2014 one per RIR \u2014 and formally triggered the “Global Policy for Post-Exhaustion IPv4 Resources.” Those last blocks weren’t handed out freely. They were rationed:<\/p>\n The idea behind the global policy was simple enough: keep a minimal trickle of addresses flowing so every region could support operators building IPv6 transition infrastructure. What it actually did, in practice, was push everyone toward the secondary market.<\/p>\n These days, essentially all IPv4 supply moves through two channels: RIR-run transfer markets and reclaimed or returned space. And each RIR plays by its own rules when it comes to \/8-derived space:<\/p>\n Returned blocks \u2014 often fragmented pieces of legacy \/8s that RIR recovery projects have cleaned up \u2014 get recycled in small lots. Which reinforces the \/22 minimum-deployment convention, a convention that traces right back to IANA’s post-exhaustion policy.<\/p>\n Scarcity. That’s the story of the IPv4 market, full stop. Since 2015, per-address prices have climbed from roughly $5\u20138 to $25\u201340+ per IP, depending on where you are and how big your block is. A few factors rooted in \/8 legacy policy drive this:<\/p>\n The last free allocations were capped at \/22, so that block size became the de facto unit of demand for small and mid-sized networks. A \/22 (1,024 addresses) is now the most liquid trade size, and its pricing anchors everything else.<\/p>\n Organizations sitting on legacy \/8s got them decades ago, often for nothing. A lot of those blocks are underutilized. Some are entirely dark. Tens of millions of addresses, by most estimates, just sit unused in legacy space. As holders modernize or shut down, that space trickles into the transfer market \u2014 slowly. Painfully slowly, if you’re a buyer. Which is exactly why prices stay elevated.<\/p>\n Note: prices fluctuate by region, RIR, and prefix reputation. Clean, routable space with no blacklisting commands premiums.<\/em><\/p>\n Buying or divesting \u2014 either way, a few habits will protect your investment:<\/p>\n This is where a trusted partner matters. IP4 Market<\/strong> runs a verified marketplace for buying, selling, and leasing IPv4 addresses \u2014 pre-screened sellers, transparent pricing, and full support through RIR transfer procedures, so you stay clear of the gray market’s pitfalls.<\/p>\n No. All 256 \/8 blocks have been allocated. A small number (240.0.0.0\/4 and 0.0.0.0\/8 among them) remain reserved for special purposes under IETF policy and will never be distributed.<\/p>\n Only in minimal quantities under post-exhaustion policies \u2014 usually a single \/22 per organization, and several RIRs have burned through even that reserve. Waiting lists exist at ARIN and elsewhere.<\/p>\n A single \/8 now runs to hundreds of millions of dollars. Holders typically monetize in smaller pieces (\/20s and \/22s) to maximize returns while keeping some operational presence.<\/p>\n Yes, for now. IPv4 remains required for reachability with legacy networks, and dual-stack deployment means IPv4 assets keep their value as transferable \u2014 even leaseable \u2014 infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The \/8 allocation model and the post-exhaustion global policy wrote the DNA of today’s IPv4 market: scarcity, the \/22 standard, regional price divergence, and a busy secondary market. Organizations that understand these dynamics \u2014 and that transact through verified channels \u2014 get their address space sorted efficiently while positioning themselves for the eventual IPv6-dominant future. When you’re ready to buy, sell, or lease, IP4 Market offers the verified sellers and competitive pricing that make IPv4 transactions safe and straightforward.<\/p>\n\n
The History of IANA \/8 Allocations<\/h2>\n
The Five RIRs and Their \/8 Holdings<\/h3>\n
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\n \nRIR<\/th>\n Region<\/th>\n Example \/8 Legacy Behavior<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n ARIN<\/td>\n North America<\/td>\n Transfer market fully opened in 2009<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n RIPE NCC<\/td>\n Europe, Middle East, Central Asia<\/td>\n Last \/8 issued in 2019 under 3.7 million addresses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n APNIC<\/td>\n Asia-Pacific<\/td>\n Last \/8 reserved for critical infrastructure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n LACNIC<\/td>\n Latin America<\/td>\n Limited transfer market with regional restrictions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n AFRINIC<\/td>\n Africa<\/td>\n Still has a small reserve; most restrictive transfer policies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n What Happened at IANA Exhaustion<\/h2>\n
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How RIRs Distribute Legacy Space Today<\/h2>\n
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The Market Impact of \/8 Legacy Blocks<\/h2>\n
1. The \/22 Benchmark<\/h3>\n
2. Legacy Holdings and Unrealized Supply<\/h3>\n
3. Regional Price Disparities<\/h3>\n
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\n \nBlock Size<\/th>\n Approx. Price per IP (2024)<\/th>\n Typical Use Case<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n \/22<\/td>\n $30\u201340<\/td>\n Small enterprise, hosting startup<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \/24<\/td>\n $28\u201338<\/td>\n Single-site deployments<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \/20<\/td>\n $28\u201335<\/td>\n Mid-size ISP, SaaS platform<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \/16 or larger<\/td>\n $25\u201332<\/td>\n Cloud providers, large ISPs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Practical Advice for Buyers and Sellers<\/h2>\n
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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Are any \/8 blocks still unallocated at IANA?<\/h3>\n
Can I still get IPv4 addresses from my RIR for free?<\/h3>\n
Why are \/8 blocks rarely sold whole today?<\/h3>\n
Does buying IPv4 space still make sense with IPv6 available?<\/h3>\n
Conclusion: Legacy Policy, Modern Market<\/h2>\n