IPv8 Overview
IPv8 is proposed as a managed network protocol suite rather than only a larger address format. The current core document is draft-thain-ipv8-02, an active Internet-Draft published on 17 April 2026.
The proposal combines several network functions around a Zone Server platform:
- Address assignment through DHCP8.
- Name resolution through DNS8 and the A8 record.
- Authentication through OAuth2 JWT tokens cached locally as OAuth8.
- Telemetry through NetLog8.
- Route validation through WHOIS8.
- Access control through ACL8.
- IPv4/IPv8 translation through XLATE8.
- Stack update distribution through Update8.
Core Claims
Section titled “Core Claims”The draft presents IPv8 as a way to address two broad problems at the same time:
- IPv4 address exhaustion, by defining a 64-bit address format where each ASN holder receives 2^32 host addresses.
- Network management fragmentation, by putting common services behind a Zone Server model.
It also states that IPv4 is a proper subset of IPv8. In the draft model, an IPv8 address with its routing prefix field set to zero is treated as an IPv4 address, allowing IPv4 devices and applications to continue working without modification.
How To Read This Wiki
Section titled “How To Read This Wiki”This wiki separates the proposal into topic pages. It is written as an explanatory guide to the draft, not as independent normative text.
- Use Draft Status to understand the document state.
- Use Progress Tracker to follow the visible path from Internet-Draft to possible RFC publication.
- Use Version History to compare the archived versions.
- Use IETF RFC Process to understand how an Internet-Draft can become an RFC.
- Use Hacker News Discussion for a summary of early public reactions.
- Use the Draft Archive for the full original text.
Contact
Section titled “Contact”Corrections and questions about this wiki can be sent to next@ipv8.wiki.