IPv4 Block Leasing for Miners: $100/Month Passive Income from /24 Subnets

The internet ran out of IPv4 addresses in 2019. Every new device, server, or service that needs a public IPv4 address must now lease one from an existing holder. This scarcity created a rental market where a single /24 subnet (256 addresses) generates $80-150/month in passive lease income.

For DePIN operators who already manage network infrastructure, IPv4 leasing is a natural yield extension — same skill set, zero additional hardware.

The IPv4 Scarcity Economics

The math is simple: there are approximately 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses in existence. There will never be more. Meanwhile, the number of devices needing public IPs continues to grow.

IPv6 was supposed to solve this, but adoption remains incomplete. As of 2026, roughly 45% of internet traffic uses IPv6. The other 55% still requires IPv4 — and that percentage is declining slowly enough that IPv4 will remain valuable for at least another decade.

Current market pricing:

Block Size	Addresses	Purchase Price	Monthly Lease Revenue	Yield
/24	256	$6,400-8,200	$80-150	12-22% annual
/23	512	$12,500-16,000	$150-280	14-21% annual
/22	1,024	$24,000-31,000	$280-520	14-20% annual
/21	2,048	$46,000-60,000	$520-980	13-20% annual

The annual yield on IPv4 blocks ranges from 12-22%, which is exceptional for an asset class that requires zero maintenance, has no operating costs, and appreciates in value over time (IP addresses have appreciated 8-12% annually for the past 5 years).

How IPv4 Leasing Works

Step 1: Acquire a block. IPv4 addresses are traded through Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and private brokers. The five RIRs (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC) each manage different global regions. North American operators work through ARIN.

Acquisition routes:

• RIR transfer market: Purchase from another ARIN member. Requires ARIN membership ($500/year) and transfer approval (2-4 weeks).
• Private broker: Companies like IPv4 Mall, Prefix Broker, or Hilco Streambank handle the transaction and paperwork. Broker fees: 5-10% of purchase price.
• Auction: Platforms like IPv4 Auctions run regular sales. Competitive pricing but less control over timing.

Step 2: Establish routing authority. You need to be able to announce the IP block via BGP (Border Gateway Protocol). Options:

• Use your own ASN (Autonomous System Number) — costs $550/year from ARIN
• Lease through a provider who handles BGP announcements — they take 15-25% of lease revenue

Step 3: List for lease. IPv4 leasing marketplaces include IPXO, IPv4.Global, and Heficed. These platforms handle tenant matching, billing, and abuse monitoring. Platform fees: 10-20% of revenue.

Step 4: Collect passive income. Once listed, the block generates monthly revenue with minimal management. Tenants typically sign 3-12 month leases.

Economics for DePIN Operators

DePIN operators have a structural advantage in IPv4 leasing:

1. Existing network expertise: You already manage network infrastructure for mining operations. IPv4 adds yield without adding a new skill domain.
2. ASN sharing: If you operate mining pools or DePIN nodes that already have an ASN, the incremental cost of announcing IPv4 blocks is near zero.
3. Tax treatment: IPv4 addresses are intangible assets eligible for amortization. Combined with hardware depreciation from mining, this creates favorable tax treatment.

Example: Adding IPv4 to a ZEC Mining Operation

A ZEC miner operating 10 Antminer Z15 Pro units generates approximately $7,800/month in mining revenue. Adding a /23 block:

Revenue Stream	Monthly
ZEC mining (10x Z15 Pro)	$7,800
IPv4 lease (/23, 512 addresses)	$210
Total	$8,010
IPv4 additional cost	$0/month (already have network infra)
IPv4 one-time cost	$14,000 (block purchase)
IPv4 payback	67 months on lease revenue alone
IPv4 asset appreciation	~10%/year = $1,400/year
Effective IPv4 payback	36 months (including appreciation)

The payback on IPv4 is longer than mining hardware, but the asset appreciates rather than depreciates, and the income stream has no dependency on crypto prices or network difficulty.

Stacking with DePIN Protocols

IPv4 leasing pairs naturally with DePIN because both involve network infrastructure monetization:

Helium + IPv4: Your Helium hotspot backhaul uses a fraction of your internet bandwidth. The remaining bandwidth supports IPv4-addressed services for tenants. Mining + IPv4: Mining operations require reliable, high-bandwidth internet. The same connection supports IPv4 routing at zero marginal cost. GEODNET + IPv4: GEODNET stations use negligible bandwidth. A GEODNET deployment with IPv4 leasing maximizes yield per internet connection.

Combined yield from a single location with stacked protocols:

Protocol	Monthly Yield
Helium Mobile	$14-22
ZEC Mining (1 unit)	$780
IPv4 lease (/24)	$100
GEODNET	$15-25
Grass Network	$8-15
Total	$917-942

Legal Considerations

IPv4 address ownership and leasing is well-established legally, but there are nuances:

Ownership vs. rights. Technically, RIRs allocate "rights to use" rather than ownership. However, IPv4 transfers are treated as asset sales for tax and legal purposes. Abuse liability. If a tenant uses your IP addresses for spam or malicious activity, the abuse reports come to you as the block holder. Leasing platforms handle abuse monitoring, but you should have a clear AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) and the ability to revoke leases. Tax treatment. IPv4 addresses are classified as intangible assets. Consult a tax professional about amortization schedules — the IRS has not issued specific guidance on IPv4, so treatment varies by accountant. Transfer restrictions. ARIN requires a "demonstrated need" for IPv4 allocations, but inter-member transfers are permitted. Some legacy blocks have specific transfer restrictions — verify before purchasing.

Getting Started

1. Budget $7,000-10,000 for your first /24 block (including broker fees)
2. Decide on routing: own ASN ($550/year + BGP setup) or managed routing (15-25% revenue share)
3. Choose a leasing platform: IPXO is the largest marketplace, IPv4.Global offers premium pricing
4. List and wait: First tenant typically appears within 2-4 weeks
5. Reinvest: Use IPv4 lease income to fund additional DePIN hardware

For operators interested in bundling IPv4 with mining and DePIN hardware, explore the YieldSwarm investment opportunity — our fleet expansion includes IPv4 block acquisition as a yield diversification strategy. View the fleet dashboard to see how we optimize across all revenue streams.

IPv4 is the most boring and most reliable yield in the DePIN operator's toolkit. It is not exciting. It will not 10x. But it will generate consistent, inflation-resistant income for the next decade while every other yield source fluctuates.