About IPv4DAO
We build a community-owned and decentrally-governed pool of IP addresses
IPv4 addresses are a vital Internet resource that was depleted in 2019. Most of them are assigned to large corporations and distributed unevenly. Our DAO builds a pool of IP addresses which brings a new vision of how this scarce resource should be handled.
DAO structure avoids the principal-agent problem. Decentralization guarantees the pool's neutrality and censorship-resistance. Involving pool users as members of the DAO provides a greater level of commitment and responsibility towards the utilization of shared resources.
Our discussions, proposals, and decisions are public. Blockchain-based voting and DAO design ensure transparency and immutability of our governance.
We enable anyone to access and use this vital Internet resource without intermediaries or gatekeepers. We promote fair and transparent allocation of IP addresses based on the impact and value of the projects that use them. By doing so, we hope to foster innovation and diversity on the Internet.
How IPv4DAO can use its pool to empower the Internet community
We support projects that have a bigger impact on Internet development and make the Internet more decentralized. Our aim is to optimize the utilization of our pool to help fight IP scarcity.
IPv4DAO could lease its IP pool to projects that need them for online security, privacy and connectivity. The leasing revenue may be used to grow the pool further.
We allocate a portion of our subnets for grants and charity. Through our grant program, we provide support to projects aligned with our mission, while our charity efforts support non-profits dedicated to a more decentralized and open Internet.
We provide resources to network researchers who may not have the means to acquire IP addresses for their experiments. We believe that supporting research is crucial to advancing the field of networking and making the Internet more decentralized.
As part of our internal use program, DAO members will have the ability to use a part of DAO's decentralized IP addresses through VPN or proxies, allowing them to browse the internet securely and privately without the risk of being tracked.
IPv4DAO history
A brief history of what happened so far. Visit our Discord to learn more.
PROBLEM
No reliable replacement for IPv4 in at least 10 years
By 2024, IPv6 had been adopted by only around 40%, which is not enough to discontinue the use of IPv4. It would be necessary to have over 90% adoption of IPv6 before considering the retirement of IPv4.
Skyrocketing prices
The limited supply and growing demand for IPv4 addresses have driven up their prices.
Exhausted address space
There’s only 3.7 Billion usable IP addresses. All of the them were distributed by 2019.
Insufficient decentralization
Different RIR regions adopted the Internet with different pace. Large populations are now misrepresented.
Some common questions and their answers are given below. But the most effective way to get your answers is to participate in our Discord and inquire there.
A DAO is a type of organization that is run by smart contracts on a blockchain, without any central authority or intermediary. A DAO allows its members to collectively make decisions and manage resources through voting and governance mechanisms.
IPv4 addresses are numerical identifiers that allow devices to communicate over the Internet. They are scarce because there are only about 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and most of them have already been allocated or used. This creates challenges for Internet growth and innovation.
Root Tokens are ERC-721 tokens that grant their holders voting power in the IPv4DAO governance system. You can get Root Tokens by joining the whitelist at https://ipv4dao.io/whitelist/
You can join or contribute to IPv4DAO by becoming a Root Token holder, a partner project, or a collaborator. As a Root Token holder, you can participate in the governance and benefit from the pool of IP addresses. As a partner project, you can access or use some of our subnets for your development or operation. As a collaborator, you can help us build and improve our platform and community. Just join our discord and involve yourself in something. We welcome all kinds of contributions and feedback.
IPv4DAO governs its pool of IP addresses through a democratic process that involves all Root Token holders. The holders can propose, vote on, and execute various actions related to the management, allocation, monetization, and utilization of the pool.
IPv4DAO monetizes its pool of IP addresses by leasing them to its members and to various projects or entities that need them for their operations or development.
We’re developing open-source solutions to streamline the management and transfer of numerical resources.
IPv4DAO helps fight IP scarcity by creating a more efficient and fair way of allocating and using IP addresses. By pooling together unused or underutilized IP subnets from different sources, it increases the supply of available IP addresses for various purposes.