We should probably have auctions for IPv4 space to encourage more efficient use. Not that we have some kind of authority to require this, but we've often suggested this in connection with our proposal to prepare to allocate 240/4.

While one can say that there's no way that IPv4 demand can ever be "satisfied" (which seems right to me), one can also imagine a different quantity demanded at $0.50/address than at $0.00/address, and also different levels of effort to make sure that almost all addresses that are allocated get put into use on the Internet. (I know $0.00/address isn't exactly the right way to describe what RIR allocations cost, but economically they've been more similar to the "beauty contest" than the "auction" allocation method.)

In the final direct initial allocation phase, people learned that something (with substantial economic value that can likely be sold in the future, no less!) was very scarce, and was being given out nearly at no cost for almost the last time. It's not surprising that they would have jumped at the opportunity to get as much of it as they could qualify for, somewhat independent of what use they expected to make of it in the short term. Maybe especially when they were hearing how other people were jumping at that opportunity.