ARIN completes new IPv4 waiting list distribution
The American Registry for Internet Numbers has completed a new distribution of scarce IPv4 addresses from its waiting list. Here is what that means, how the system works, and why it remains important for the future of the internet.
On 13 January 2026, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) announced that it had fulfilled 149 requests for IPv4 addresses from its IPv4 Waiting List. The addresses came from 59 IPv4 address blocks that had recently become available and were redistributed to organisations that had been waiting for them.
To understand why this matters, it helps to start with the basics.
What is IPv4 and why is it scarce
Every device connected to the internet needs a numerical address so that data can be sent to and from the right place. One of the oldest systems for assigning these addresses is called Internet Protocol version 4, or IPv4.
IPv4 uses a limited pool of addresses. There are only about 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and most of them have already been allocated. As the internet grew faster than expected, this pool was effectively exhausted. New organisations can no longer receive IPv4 addresses on demand.
What is the IPv4 waiting list?
Because IPv4 addresses are still widely used, ARIN operates an IPv4 Waiting List. This list allows organisations to request IPv4 addresses when none are immediately available. When address blocks are returned to ARIN, reclaimed, or cleared for reuse, they are redistributed to organisations on the waiting list according to established policies.
The waiting list is not a market or auction. It is a policy-based process designed to ensure fair and transparent redistribution of remaining IPv4 resources.
What happened in January 2026
In this latest distribution, ARIN used 59 IPv4 address blocks that had been cleared and deemed suitable for reuse. From these blocks, 149 waiting list requests were fulfilled.
ARIN also noted that earlier assumptions about the reputation of some of these address blocks may no longer apply. In the past, certain IPv4 blocks were placed on blocklists due to suspected abuse or misuse. ARIN clarified that such past inferences are likely outdated and should not automatically affect how these addresses are treated today.
Why is this still important
Even though a newer system, IPv6, exists and offers a vastly larger number of addresses, IPv4 remains widely used. Many networks, services, and devices still depend on IPv4 compatibility. As a result, access to IPv4 addresses continues to have operational and economic value.
The waiting list process helps ensure that remaining IPv4 resources are redistributed in an orderly and accountable way, rather than being hoarded or allocated informally. It also provides predictability for organisations that still need IPv4 addresses to maintain or expand services.
At the same time, ARIN and other Regional Internet Registries continue to encourage the transition to IPv6, which does not suffer from the same scarcity problem.
What comes next
ARIN has indicated that the next IPv4 waiting list distribution is expected late in the first quarter of 2026. When that happens, the organisation will notify the community and update the list of address blocks used to fulfill requests.
For now, the January distribution is another reminder that IPv4 addresses are a finite resource, carefully managed, and still relevant, even as the internet gradually moves toward a more sustainable addressing system.
