The IPv6 Loopback Address Prefix

{ *Editor's note:* This document requests the allocation of a new IPv6 address prefix to be used for loopback instead of expanding into the existing ::/96. The specific prefix to be allocated is TBD/96, and the document updates the relevant RFCs and IANA registries to reflect this change. } This document updates the IP Version 6 Address Architecture to expand the size of the IPv6 loopback space from a single address to a /96 prefix. This change allows for a much larger number of loopback addresses in IPv6, which can be used for inter-process communication within a host and for network diagnostics. The document also updates the IANA IPv6 Address registry and the IPv6 Special Purpose Address registry to reflect this change. It updates RFC4291 to reflect the new loopback prefix and its functional semantics.