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Your UAV imagery API is stuck behind carrier-grade NAT, where one public IPv4 address is shared across large user pools. Partners want static IPv4 allowlists for tile servers, and legacy enterprise networks still cannot reach a v6-only stack.

Leasing can work, but reputation bleed, renewal risk, and tighter terms make ownership a better fit for long-lived services. Buying IPv4 is now a formal process with policy review, escrow, and transfer records.

The secondary market exists because IANA’s free pool depleted on February 3, 2011, and ARIN’s supply was exhausted on September 24, 2015. Today, acquiring space looks more like buying another governed network asset than making a back-channel deal.

Key Takeaways

Prepared buyers move faster when they line up policy, title, price, and routing from the start.

• The market is mature and policy-governed. ARIN buyers need a 24-month need case, and the smallest transferable, globally routable block is in practice a /24.
• Prepared transfers can close quickly. With pre-approval and complete records, clean ARIN transfers can finish in two to three weeks.
• Pricing changes with block size and cleanliness. Large aggregates have trended lower in recent years while smaller /24 blocks continue to carry a premium. Check current pricing directly with a transfer facilitator as rates shift with supply and block size.
• Escrow and title checks are required. Services such as Escrow.com should release funds only after Whois shows you as registrant.
• Secure routing on day one. Publish Route Origin Authorizations, or RPKI ROAs, and matching Internet Routing Registry, or IRR, route objects before you announce the space.
• Bring your own IP, or BYOIP, works across major clouds. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all support owned IPv4 imports.

What the IPv4 Address Market Is and Why It Exists

IPv4 is scarce because new supply is gone, so buyers rely on registry-approved transfers.

Since IANA’s global pool ran dry in 2011, organizations get IPv4 through transfers from existing holders under registry policy. ARIN covers North America, RIPE NCC covers Europe and the Middle East, and APNIC, LACNIC, and AFRINIC cover other regions.

RIPE NCC said on November 25, 2019, that it had no available addresses left. ARIN keeps a waiting list, but buyers on a deadline use specified-recipient transfers under ARIN’s Number Resource Policy Manual, or NRPM, sections 8.3 and 8.4.

Your ORG ID is your ARIN account identity, your ASN is the Autonomous System Number used for independent Border Gateway Protocol, or BGP, routing, and intra-RIR or inter-RIR tells you whether a transfer stays in one registry or crosses regions.

Three Benefits of Owning IPv4

Ownership pays off when you need stable addressing, cleaner reputation, and freedom to move between providers.

1. Control and Continuity

Owned space travels across carriers and clouds through BYOIP. For public APIs, UAV control systems, and partner allowlists, that portability removes vendor lock-in and costly renumbering work.

2. Lower Risk Surface

A dedicated block gives you one reputation history to monitor and repair. It also supports RPKI and IRR controls, which help prevent hijacks and route leaks.

3. Compliance and Reliability

Shared ranges make allowlists, geofencing, and incident review harder. Owned IPv4 makes SOC 2 or ISO control lists easier to manage because the space is clearly assigned to your business.

What to Buy: Block Sizing

The right block size comes from a defensible 24-month forecast, not a guess or the cheapest listing.

ARIN’s minimum transfer size is a /24, or 256 addresses, and recipients must show that at least 50% of the requested space will be used within 24 months. Start with a service inventory, then count endpoints, NAT port density, partner allowlists, device onboarding, and planned cloud regions.

A /22 gives 1,024 addresses and a /21 gives 2,048, which can lower the per-IP price and keep route tables cleaner. Add a 20% to 30% buffer for disaster recovery and growth, then test the result against a realistic traffic forecast.

Where to Buy: Sources and Vetting

Buy only through channels that can prove policy compliance, clear title, and a clean reputation trail.

ARIN’s waiting list is unpredictable, so specified-recipient transfers under 8.3, or inter-RIR transfers under 8.4, are the normal path for near-term demand. Vet brokers for registry recognition, escrow discipline, identity checks, anti-money-laundering checks, and a written timeline. For teams wanting one accountable provider from diligence through routing handoff, Brander Group’s Buy IPv4 streamlines ARIN 8.3/8.4 paperwork, escrow, and routing handoff.

Walk away from sellers who cannot verify authority in Whois or RDAP, the registry lookup system, or who refuse escrow. Ask for contract warranties that cover clear title, blacklist status, and any duty to replace or remediate dirty space.

Running a Compliant ARIN Transfer

Pre-approval is the simplest way to shorten ARIN review and keep a signed deal from stalling.

ARIN offers transfer pre-approval based on a 24-month projected need, and that approval stays valid for transfers submitted within the next 24 months. When your paperwork is complete, the closing steps are straightforward.

1. Create an ARIN ORG ID and sign the Registration Services Agreement.
2. File for transfer pre-approval and document the addresses you expect to use over 24 months.
3. Negotiate an asset purchase agreement with title warranties, cleanup terms, and escrow instructions.
4. Submit the 8.3 or 8.4 transfer request with the matching ticket numbers and support files.
5. Close when Whois shows you as registrant, then create ROAs and IRR objects at once.

Clean transfers can finish in two to three weeks. Build a four-to-six-week plan if legal review, inter-RIR coordination, or geolocation cleanup is still pending.

Routing Security, Cloud BYOIP, and Reputation Hygiene

A block is not production-ready until routing, cloud import, and reputation cleanup are complete.

Before you announce the prefix, create Route Origin Authorizations, or ROAs, and matching IRR, Internet Routing Registry, route objects. Give upstreams your AS-SET, the list of ASNs they use to build filters, and confirm their filters match your new space.

Check Spamhaus DROP and EDROP data, Cisco Talos reputation, and AbuseIPDB before go-live. After cutover, send geolocation corrections to MaxMind and IPinfo, then expect propagation to take from days to weeks.

Make the Market Work for You

Treat IPv4 as an operational asset, not a one-time purchase, and it will stay useful during the move to dual stack.

IPv6 adoption has grown significantly, but dual stack remains the practical standard for business networks because partners and enterprise infrastructure still depend on IPv4, but dual stack, IPv4 and IPv6 together, is still the real world for business networks and partners. Owned IPv4 keeps services reachable everywhere while you expand IPv6 coverage on your own schedule.

Start with a 24-month need model, get ARIN pre-approval, and move when the right block appears. Prepared buyers spend less time fixing paperwork, cleaning reputation, and untangling routing after the close.

FAQ

These answers cover the points most teams need to settle before they sign.

Do I Need ARIN Pre-Approval?

No, but it shortens closing and locks your 24-month need case for 8.3 or 8.4 transfers.

What’s the Smallest Block I Can Buy?

A /24, or 256 addresses, is the smallest globally routable block used in standard transfers.

How Long Does a Transfer Take?

Clean deals with pre-approval can finish in two to three weeks, while inter-RIR transfers can take longer.

What If the Block Is on a Blacklist?

Negotiate replacement or cleanup before paying, and check Spamhaus, Cisco Talos, and AbuseIPDB during due diligence.

Will IPv6 Make This Obsolete?

No. IPv6 is growing, but dual stack remains necessary because partners and enterprise networks still depend on IPv4.