IPv6 was supposed to make this a non-issue by now. With a near-limitless supply of addresses, it promised to end the scramble for IPv4 for good. Yet here we are in 2026, and businesses are still actively buying IPv4 addresses, often paying a premium to do so.
The reason is simple: the Internet has not yet completed its transition to IPv6, and a great deal of infrastructure still depends on IPv4. For any organization growing its network, acquiring address space becomes a real and recurring decision. This article looks at why the demand persists, who needs to buy, and how to approach the market sensibly.
The IPv4 shortage has not gone away
IPv4 offers roughly 4.3 billion addresses, a number that ran out faster than anyone expected as the internet exploded. The regional registries that hand out address space distributed the last of their free pools years ago, leaving new demand to be met on a secondary market.
That scarcity has given IPv4 addresses real monetary value. Blocks that organizations once received for free, and may have forgotten they held, are now sought-after assets. Because so many systems, networks and applications still rely on IPv4 for compatibility, the demand has stayed strong even as IPv6 adoption slowly climbs.
The result is a mature market where address blocks change hands regularly, with prices reflecting genuine and ongoing scarcity.
Who needs to buy IP addresses
Demand is not limited to one type of organization. The common thread is growth or change that outpaces a company’s existing address space.
Internet service providers and hosting companies are among the heaviest buyers, since their entire business depends on having enough addresses to serve customers. Cloud and data center operators need address space to scale. Enterprises expanding their networks, entering new regions or going through mergers and acquisitions often find they need more addresses than they hold. Even organizations that simply mismanaged their original allocation may need to top up.
In each case, the choice is rarely whether IPv4 is the long-term future, but how to get enough of it to keep operating and growing today.
Why IPv4 is treated as an asset
One shift in recent years is that IPv4 addresses are now widely viewed as assets rather than just technical resources. A block of addresses has a market value, can appear on a balance sheet conversation, and can be monetized by organizations that no longer need it.
This cuts both ways. Companies sitting on unused address space can sell or lease it for meaningful sums, while those that need it must budget for a real cost. Understanding that IPv4 is a tradable asset, governed by registry policy and market demand, changes how organizations plan for it, treating address space as something to manage strategically rather than assume.
Buying safely on the secondary market
The catch is that the secondary market can be opaque, and a careless purchase can leave you with addresses that are disputed or unusable. Verifying ownership, confirming a block is clean and navigating registry transfer policy all take expertise, which is why many organizations work with a broker when they need to buy IP addresses. Brander Group, an IPv4 brokerage operating since 2007, fully manages the purchase process and facilitates 50 to 80 transfers each month across the major registries.
The safeguards a broker provides are where the value lies. Brander Group qualifies each seller to confirm they own the addresses free and clear, maintains a selection of clean blocks across ARIN, RIPE, APNIC and LACNIC, and runs every address against more than 100 global blacklists, providing a detailed report. It also uses a proprietary process to uncover dormant legacy blocks, handles the contracts and registry transfer to your organization, and secures payment through wire or escrow. For a buyer, that turns a high-value, easy-to-get-wrong transaction into a managed and transparent one.
Should you buy or lease?
Buying is not the only route. Leasing IPv4 has grown more popular as purchase prices and interest rates have risen, offering a flexible, lower-commitment way to access address space.
Leasing suits organizations that want addresses for a defined period or prefer to avoid a large upfront outlay, with terms ranging from month to month up to several years. Buying suits those that want a lasting asset and the certainty of holding the rights themselves. The right answer depends on how permanent your need is, your budget and how you prefer to account for the cost.
What to weigh before buying
A few considerations protect any purchase. They are worth confirming whether you buy directly or through a broker.
Check that the addresses are clean, since IPs flagged on blacklists can cause email and reputation problems that take time to undo. Confirm the seller genuinely owns the block free of disputes. Make sure the block sits in the right registry region for your needs, as policies differ. And confirm your own eligibility with the relevant registry before committing, so the transfer can be approved without surprises.
Getting these basics right protects both your money and your network.
The bottom line
Businesses keep buying IP addresses because IPv4 remains essential and genuinely scarce, and that is unlikely to change quickly. For ISPs, hosts, cloud operators and growing enterprises, securing enough address space is a practical necessity rather than a relic of the past.
The key is to treat IPv4 as the valuable, tradable asset it has become, verify everything before you buy, and lean on experienced help to navigate a market that rewards diligence. Whether you choose to buy or lease, approach it informed and you can secure the addresses your network needs with confidence.
Read More From Techbullion
