Address Transfer Market
RIRs have policies to help organizations transfer addresses when they no longer need them. Some organizations got large blocks of addresses when the technologies for routing addresses were less flexible.
Some organizations got blocks for a specific project and don’t need them afterwards. In circumstances such as these, those with surplus addresses can transfer spares away through a transfer market.
It is often easier to do business with an organization in the same country. But prices are more stable when the whole world is a market. Four of the five RIRs have policies allowing transfers between regions. That means organizations can sell to or buy from an organization on the other side of the world.
Escrow services make inter-RIR transfers safe.
In-region transfers obviously have fewer moving parts as there’s just one RIR involved. But inter-RIR transfers are often fast, completing in a week or less.