How to Sell Your IPv4 Block in 2026 - Pricing, Escrow, and Timeline
Quick answer: selling an IPv4 block in 2026 works in four steps - valuation, buyer match, escrow, and RIR transfer approval. Most intra-RIR deals close in 3-10 business days. Your sale price depends on four things: block size, the RIR it lives in, routing history, and blacklist state. The 2026 market recovery means sellers who sat out the 2025 lows have a clean window to re-enter. Start with a free pre-sale blacklist audit, because a dirty block is the single biggest price killer.
This is the seller's side of the process. If you want the combined buy-or-sell overview, see our IPv4 buy and sell guide. For current numbers by registry, the live table is in IPv4 price per IP.
What determines your sale price
Four factors decide what a buyer will pay. Knowing them before you list lets you set a realistic number and avoid weeks of no offers.
| Factor | Effect on price | What you control |
|---|---|---|
| Block size | Larger blocks sell for less per IP but more in total. A /16 carries a lower per-IP price than a /24, because fewer buyers can absorb it. | Choice of how much to list - splitting is possible but rarely worth it. |
| RIR (registry) | RIPE blocks are the most liquid (highest transfer volume globally). ARIN commands a small premium on AI-infrastructure demand. APNIC sits slightly lower. | Where the block is registered - fixed at listing time. |
| Routing history | A clean, announced, well-maintained block is worth more. Addresses that were parked or never routed raise buyer questions. | Have BGP/IRR records ready to show. |
| Blacklist state | The single biggest price killer. Listings on Spamhaus, Barracuda, SORBS, or Spamcop can shave 20-50 percent off or kill a deal outright. | Run a pre-sale audit and clean before listing. |
The price ranges below are current mid-2026 sale-side reference points, pulled from our price-per-IP guide:
| Registry | Block | Sale price per IP (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| RIPE NCC | /24 (256 IPs) | $40 - $55 |
| RIPE NCC | /22 (1,024 IPs) | $38 - $52 |
| ARIN | /24 (256 IPs) | $42 - $58 |
| ARIN | /22 (1,024 IPs) | $40 - $55 |
| APNIC | /24 (256 IPs) | $35 - $50 |
Step 1 - Get a valuation and a free pre-sale audit
Before you list, get two numbers: a market valuation and a blacklist audit. The valuation comes from comparable recent transfers for your block size and registry. The blacklist audit tells you whether a buyer's due-diligence team will find a problem.
This is the step most sellers skip, and it costs them. A block that looks clean to you can carry a stale Spamhaus listing from a previous owner years ago. When the buyer's team finds it on day three of escrow, the deal stalls or gets repriced. Running the DCXV Blacklist Checker first - free, with a PDF report you can hand to any buyer - turns a surprise into evidence of a clean block.
Email ipv4@dcxv.com with your prefix and we return a valuation plus the audit, usually same day.
Step 2 - Match with a buyer
Once you have a clean audit and a valuation, the block is matched against active buyer demand. Large blocks (/16 and up) go to a small pool of buyers - hyperscalers, large hosting groups, telecoms - and the match is handled privately. Smaller blocks (/24 to /20) have a much wider buyer base and move faster.
The match is where a broker earns its fee. A good broker brings qualified buyers who have funds ready, not tire-kickers. Ask how many active buyers a broker has for your specific block size and registry before signing anything.
Step 3 - Escrow protects both sides
After price agreement, funds go into escrow before the RIR transfer is initiated. Escrow is what makes the secondary market safe: the buyer's money is locked and verifiable before you hand over the block, and you are paid only after the RIR confirms the transfer.
The standard flow:
- Buyer deposits the full purchase price into escrow.
- Both parties sign the RIR transfer request.
- The RIR reviews and approves the transfer.
- Escrow releases funds to the seller.
Escrow setup is typically 1-3 days. The RIR review is the longest variable - RIPE NCC currently processes transfers within roughly 2-3 weeks; ARIN and APNIC are similar for clean cases. We open escrow within 1 hour of agreement, which is why the total start-to-finish time for an intra-RIR deal is usually 3-10 business days.
Step 4 - RIR transfer approval
The registry does not work for the broker or the buyer - it independently verifies that the seller is entitled to the block and the buyer is eligible to receive it. For RIPE this means confirming the block is past its 24-month transfer lock (RIPE-807) if it was a recent allocation, and that the receiving LIR meets the needs test. For ARIN it is needs-based justification; for APNIC, similar.
This is also why clean documentation up front matters. If your IRR objects, BGP history, and RIR records all agree, approval is routine. If anything is inconsistent, the RIR will pause the transfer and ask questions - adding days or weeks.
Why 2026 is a re-entry window for sellers
The 2025 correction pushed large blocks (/16+) down more than 60 percent to ten-year lows. Small blocks (/24) held firm throughout. Through H1 2026 the market found its floor and confirmed a recovery: record transaction volume in January, measurable price increases from March, and a broader buyer base now that hyperscalers have pulled back. The detail is in our H1 2026 market recovery breakdown.
For sellers this means the math has changed. If you held a block waiting out the lows, the combination of recovering prices and zero RIPE transfer fee (the proposed EUR 500 transfer fee was rejected again at the May 2026 GM) keeps exit economics clean. Your net result is the sale price minus only the broker commission - no registry transfer tax. See the 2027 charging scheme breakdown for the fee detail.
A 10-point pre-sale checklist
Before you list, have these ready. Each one removes a reason for a buyer to discount your price:
- Prefix and exact CIDR for every block you want to sell
- RIR and the holding LIR / organization name
- Confirmation the block is past any 24-month transfer lock
- Blacklist report (Spamhaus, Barracuda, SORBS, Spamcop) - clean or cleaned
- BGP / routing history showing the block was announced and maintained
- IRR / RIR database objects current and consistent
- ROA / RPKI status
- Any legacy encumbrances or third-party claims
- Your target net price and your walk-away price
- Authorized signatory for the transfer request
The bottom line
Selling IPv4 in 2026 is a four-step process - valuation, buyer match, escrow, RIR approval - and the biggest lever on your final price is a clean block. Run a free pre-sale blacklist audit first, price against real comparables for your registry and block size, and let escrow and the RIR handle the safety and legality. The recovery means the window for sellers who waited out 2025 is open now. Want a valuation or a free blacklist audit for your block? Email ipv4@dcxv.com or see https://dcxv.com/ipv4.
