Here's an industry story that's easy to miss: IPv4 prices turned upward again in 2026. Market data puts a single IPv4 address in the tens of dollars to buy, with monthly lease rates climbing steadily — up more than threefold over the past decade. For hosts, the dedicated IP bundled with every VPS has become a very real cost line.
Why IPv4 Keeps Rising
- Exhausted supply: the global IPv4 pool was allocated long ago; new supply only comes from existing blocks changing hands.
- Undiminished demand: cloud services, proxies, and cross-border businesses all need dedicated IPv4, and IPv6 adoption still can't fully substitute.
- Financialization: IP blocks have become rentable, sellable assets, and holders hold out for higher prices.
What Users Actually Feel
Visible changes already: some hosts now bill extra IPv4 separately at higher rates; some budget plans have moved to shared IPs or IPv6-only; the premium for a dedicated-IPv4 plan will keep growing.
Advice
If your business depends on a dedicated IP (websites, SEO, email, risk-sensitive account systems), check the IP policy before buying: is it dedicated, is it billed separately, is swapping easy? Every SharkCloud plan includes a dedicated IP in the listed price — no "cheap entry, IP costs extra" games.