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Web3 privacy-focused infrastructure provider Nym Technologies has joined Liquid Federation to support the growing Bitcoin layer-2 ecosystem, according to an April 18 statement shared with CryptoSlate.
The Liquid Federation is a group of crypto-native organizations, including exchanges, trading desks, and developers, that perform vital tasks for the premier Bitcoin sidechain, Liquid Network.
‘Enhancing privacy'As part of its engagement, Nym Technologies assumes a crucial role as one of the 15 dispersed functionary node operators for Liquid Network.
These specialized nodes, housed in tamper-proof Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), are crucial in managing the Liquid Network's core infrastructure and transactions. This includes proposing and signing blocks, overseeing the two-way Bitcoin peg, and safeguarding the network's BTC reserves through a distributed multi-signature wallet.
Meanwhile, the collaboration between Nym, the Liquid Federation, and Blockstream, the Liquid's technical provider, signifies the first step towards a broader vision.
As per the official statement, the partnership aims to integrate Liquid functionality into the Nym mixnet, bolstering transaction confidentiality during transit and elevating privacy standards for Bitcoin layer-2 users.
Nym's mixnet is a foundational privacy infrastructure at layer-0, adaptable to any blockchain and adept at concealing traffic, fortifying privacy, and enhancing security for users and validators alike.
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Dr. Adam Back, CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, said:
“Liquid's Confidential Transactions, which rely on homomorphic encryption, are designed to keep transaction details confidential while protecting the network's integrity and security. Nym's decision to become a Liquid functionary underscores our shared commitment to enhancing privacy within the Bitcoin layer-2 ecosystem”
Harry Halpin, CEO of Nym Technologies, expressed excitement about Nym's closer collaboration with Liquid and Blockstream following years of diligent development.
Notably, the partnership coincides with the impending fourth Bitcoin halving event, which would reduce block rewards to 3.25 BTC.
Nym, a pioneering privacy-centric mixnet protocol, is joining forces with Aleo, a top-tier privacy-focused blockchain platform, in a strategic alliance backed by Leo Wallet. Leo Wallet, a renowned cryptocurrency wallet native to the Aleo network, is a trusted name in secure wallet infrastructure. The newly formed collaboration harnesses Aleo’s zero-knowledge Layer-1 blockchain technology and combines it with Nym’s Layer-0 mixnet protocol.
Aleo’s blockchain empowers developers to create scalable, full-stack applications with built-in security features. By integrating Nym’s mixnet and NymVPN’s decentralized privacy solutions, users will benefit from enhanced privacy and security across their online interactions, encompassing both TCP/IP communications and on-chain transactions.
Central to this partnership, Leo Wallet will act as a crucial integration layer. It will enable users to easily opt into mixnet privacy through a simple toggle switch within its user interface. Leo Wallet’s integration will streamline the connection to the Nym mixnet, facilitating a smoother interaction between the Aleo blockchain and Nym’s mixnet. The integration will occur in two phases, beginning with a co-marketing stage where Leo users can test NymVPN, followed by full integration.
A Synergistic Approach to Privacy and Security As part of this collaboration, both Aleo and Leo Wallet users will enjoy early access to the upcoming NymVPN during its alpha testing phase, slated for release early next month. NymVPN offers users a choice between 2-hop dVPN and 5-hop mixnet modes, allowing them to tailor their online transactions and communications for optimal privacy and security.
Harry Halpin, Nym’s co-founder and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Aleo and Leo Wallet to advance the cause of digital privacy and empower users with cutting-edge privacy solutions. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to creating a safer, more private online environment for individuals worldwide.”
Aleo’s blockchain platform, which prioritizes scalability, transparency, and confidentiality, perfectly complements Nym VPN’s decentralized privacy solutions. Together, the alliance aims to establish new benchmarks for digital privacy and security.
Alex Pruden, Executive Director of the Aleo Network Foundation, emphasized the significance of the partnership, saying, “We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right, and our partnership with Nym Technologies reaffirms our commitment to protecting user privacy. Combining our zero-knowledge technology with Nym’s mixnet will help to empower individuals with the tools they need to reclaim their digital sovereignty and safeguard their personal data.”
The union of Nym, Aleo, and Leo Wallet represents a pivotal moment in the quest for digital privacy and autonomy. These three companies, with their combined expertise, are set to redefine privacy standards across the digital landscape, empowering users to take control of their online security like never before.
AUTHOR
Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.
Nym, a pioneer in digital privacy solutions, has joined forces with the Optimism Foundation, marking a significant milestone in advancing online privacy and security. This collaboration highlights a shared commitment to harnessing blockchain technology to enhance internet privacy for users globally.
Introducing Optimism: A Vanguard of Ethereum Scaling Optimism is at the forefront of Ethereum scalability solutions, with its development of the Superchain—a network of OP Chains built on the OP Stack. This initiative is part of the Optimism Collective, which includes companies, communities, and citizens united in their mission to foster a more open internet. The collective’s work focuses on scaling Ethereum’s technology while preserving its core principles of decentralization and security.
Optimism’s technological innovation extends to its use of Optimistic roll-ups. These roll-ups assume transactions are valid by default, which allows for scalable processing by deferring validations until transactions are challenged. This method enhances throughput on the Ethereum network without compromising on security.
A New Era of Privacy with NymVPN, Powered by Nym and Optimism The partnership between Nym and the Optimism Foundation is set to revolutionize user privacy through the introduction of NymVPN. Members of the Optimism ecosystem will be among the first to trial this innovative VPN solution, designed to offer superior privacy protection.
Why NymVPN? NymVPN is engineered to provide users with control over their digital footprint. It integrates features such as decentralized architecture, zero-knowledge infrastructure, and multi-hop routing to ensure that online activities are shielded from prying eyes. With the increasing risks to user data and privacy, NymVPN’s robust privacy features come as a timely solution.
Exclusive Early Access for Optimism Members In appreciation of the community’s enthusiasm and support, members of the Optimism ecosystem will receive early access to NymVPN. This privilege allows them to experience first-hand the cutting-edge features and privacy assurances that NymVPN brings to the table.
Engage and Learn: Upcoming AMA with Nym and Optimism To deepen the community’s understanding of the privacy projects spearheaded by Nym and Optimism, an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session is scheduled for May 3, 2024. This event will provide an open forum for users to interact with the developers and gain insights into the future of blockchain technology and privacy tools.
Setting New Standards in Online Privacy The collaboration between Nym and the Optimism Foundation is more than just a technological union; it is a step towards redefining online privacy standards. As these two entities continue to innovate, the integration of NymVPN into the Optimism ecosystem promises to empower users with unprecedented privacy and security online.
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Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.
Crypto personalities are supporting Tornado Cash devs in ongoing legal battle. Nym CEO thinks Alexey Pertsev’s 64-month sentence is “radically unfair and unreasonable.” Vitalik Buterin donated $113K to support the “Free Alexey and Roman” campaign. Top crypto personalities are continuing to support the Tornado Cash developers in their legal battles with government authorities.
Nym CEO Harry Halpin criticized a Dutch court’s 64-month sentence of Alexey Pertsev, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donating $113,000 in ETH to support the legal defense of Pertsev and Roman Storm.
According to reports, Halpin criticized Pertsev’s sentence, characterizing it as “radically unfair and unreasonable.” He argued that the punishment is not proportional, noting that the court sentenced Pertsev because someone in North Korea used software he developed.
Halpin likened the scenario to jailing Richard Stallman, the Linux developer, because people in North Korea used his product, or punishing Bill Gates for those who may be using stolen copies of Windows.
The Nym CEO expressed his disappointment with the Dutch court for not learning from a World War II scenario where the Nazis exterminated most of the Netherland’s Jewish population due to sophisticated identity tracing systems. Halpin urged Pertsev to appeal the judgment.
In a related development, the “Free Alexey and Roman” campaign is gaining momentum and receiving support from several sectors of the crypto community. A verifiable transaction on Etherscan, the Ethereum blockchain explorer, shows that Vitalik Buterin donated 30 ETH to support the Pertsev and Storm legal defense.
Details of the transaction reveal the transfer originated from Buterin’s wallet and reached a Juicebox address linked to the “Free Alexey and Roman” legal defense fund. A crypto privacy advocacy group created the “Free Alexey and Roman” fund to provide legal representation for the pair.
The fund has raised 593 ETH, equivalent to $2.2 million, as of this writing. The authorities charged both developers with money laundering due to their role in creating the Tornado Cash privacy solution.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.
Nym Technologies, the company behind privacy protocol Nym, is now a step closer to launching NymVPN, which it claims will be the "world's most private VPN."
Nym touts NymVPN's anonymous zero-knowledge proof registration feature—which means not even the app will know who's using it. It's also introducing extra noise at the network level in an effort to combat AI's ability to detect patterns and deanonymize traffic.
It's been a long road to reach the beta phase, said CEO Harry Halpin.
"We are proud to launch NymVPN for public beta testing at Web3 Summit where we first took Nym out of stealth mode in 2019," he said in a release. Halpin gave a demo of the NymVPN at the Web3 Summit on Wednesday morning in Berlin.
Nym was founded in 2017 and has raised more than $100 million from the likes of Andreessen Horowitz, Digital Currency Group, Polychain Capital, Tayssir Capital, and 1kx. It's best known for its mixnet, which uses network nodes to shuffle and recombine details linked to packets of data.
With NymVPN in its open beta phase, anyone can now register to test it. The VPN offers "genuine unlinkability and privacy that wan withstand AI-driven pattern recognition," the company said.
The antidote to AI, which has supercharged the technical ability to de-anonymize metadata, is noise. Nym says its VPN is the first of its kind to generate extra noise as "cover traffic" to help obscure which users are talking to one another.
It's not unlike how Nym's mixnet works, which disaggregates pieces of metadata, like a person’s IP address or the recipient of a message, and mixes it with other metadata. The resulting packets of encrypted data combine the IP addresses, time, date, and location of many different people’s metadata.
The mixnet is most effective when many node operators participate, breaking apart and remixing packets of metadata. Otherwise it’s like trying to hide in a crowd of only a couple of people. But generating noise at the network level bypasses the problem of needing to scale before there's enough activity to keep all users private.
"The result is a “noisy” communication pattern, effectively preventing network observers from determining who is speaking to whom," Nym said.
Nym is also promising that its VPN won't know who's using it because of its zero-knowledge proof registration. Its zk-nyms will allow users to verify and manage their accounts without ever having to reveal their identity.
"This technology ensures that even the platform itself has no knowledge of who is using the service," according to Nym.
And rather than choosing to sacrifice speed for increased anonymity or vice versa, Nym said its VPN puts that decision in the hands of its users. The VPN's fast mode will obscure the user's IP address and route the traffic through two independent servers.
But the anonymous mode will route traffic through five servers, add "noise," and use novel onion encryption—similar to the technology used by The Onion Router (TOR). "This mode offers unparalleled privacy by making it extremely difficult for any observer to trace your online activities. It is optimal for highly sensitive traffic which is latency insensitive," the company said.
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Nym Technologies has released the open beta of its NymVPN app, introducing advanced privacy features that set a new standard for online anonymity, the company shared in a Wednesday press release. NymVPN aims to provide true anonymity with anonymous zk-nym registration and noise-generating networks.
Harry Halpin, co-founder and CEO of Nym Technologies, will be showcasing the beta version of NymVPN at the Web3 Summit in Berlin today.
“We are proud to launch NymVPN for public beta testing at Web3 Summit where we first took Nym out of stealth mode in 2019. We promised then that privacy tech could deliver power to the people, and now we are showing we can deliver,” said Halpin.
Using zero-knowledge credentials (zk-nyms), NymVPN enables users to manage their accounts without revealing their identities. It also adopts a multi-hop architecture, routing traffic through multiple independent proxy nodes to prevent network tracking and man-in-the-middle attacks.
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Unlike traditional VPNs, which offer limited privacy, NymVPN makes it virtually impossible for anyone to trace your online activities back to you, the firm stated. NymVPN offers both a fast mode for general use and an anonymous mode for highly sensitive traffic.
Nym also introduced its noise-generating network, adding an extra layer of protection to users’ communications.
The firm said this unique feature masks your communication patterns by mixing your traffic with that of other users and introducing “cover traffic.” This makes it extremely difficult for anyone to observe your online activities.
The combination of these advanced features not only enhances privacy but also protects against the vulnerabilities inherent in conventional VPN technologies, the firm ensured.
Anyone can now register to test the NymVPN app and contribute to its development. Nym said it plans to kick off the app’s official commercial launch in the coming months.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Nym Technologies, the startup behind the privacy-preserving mixnet of the same name, has unveiled a VPN (or virtual private network) that will help shield users' identities online.
“Traditional VPNs have long been marketed as privacy tools, but they fall short of delivering true anonymity,” the team wrote in a press release.
NymVPN’s registration process leverages zero-knowledge cryptography, a way of validating information without revealing the content or context, meaning users can sign up without disclosing their real identities. The app will also incorporate “noise” into the network crowd of users to obscure IP addresses and mask users’ communication patterns.
This works, at least in concept, in a similar way as Tor — the private web browser that scrambles users’ online activity by routing traffic through various relays. By mixing communications NymVPN can help prevent observers from determining who is speaking to whom, the team explained.
Nym’s mixnet operates similarly, by shuffling data around a series of network nodes. It’s called a mixnet because it mixes data to help obscure where information is coming from and going to — including metadata like the time and location of a sent message.
There are two options for users of NymVPN to toggle between: “fast mode” and “anonymous mode.” As those names suggest, the former will prioritize speed by offering a lightweight version of the app that only routes traffic through two servers. Whereas anonymous mode uses five servers, adds in noise and uses a “novel onion encryption” (a la Tor).
Halpin noted in the press release the world of cryptography needs to keep pace with artificial intelligence, which is rapidly gaining the ability to identify internet users by their web traffic.
Nym, founded in 2017 by cypherpunk Harry Halpin, has raised funding from heavyweights including Andreessen Horowitz, Digital Currency Group, Polychain Capital and Google Ventures, among others. Last year, it launched a $300 million “innovation fund” to invest in projects building privacy-preserving tools.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
The top trending cryptocurrencies today include some new entries, according to data from CoinGecko. However, the list also includes a usual suspect, which is trending due to the just-concluded US election.
In this analysis. BeInCrypto explains why these altcoins are trending and what could be next for prices. That said, the top three trending altcoins include Nym (NYM), MAGA (TRUMP), and Panther AI (PAI).
Nym (NYM)Nym tops the list of trending cryptocurrencies today due to its massive price increase. The project, which is a blockchain-based privacy network using zero-knowledge proofs, has seen its price climb by 28% in the last 24 hours.
As of this writing, NYM’s price is $0.075. However, on the daily chart, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has hit 91.79. The RSI measures momentum and shows if an asset is overbought or oversold.
When the reading is below 30.00, the asset is oversold. On the other hand, when the reading is above 80.00, the asset is overbought, which appears to be the case with NYM. Considering this position, the altcoin’s price might drop to $0.068, especially if profit–taking rises.
Read more: 12 Best Altcoin Exchanges for Crypto Trading in November 2024
Nym 4-Hour Analysis. Source: TradingView However, this prediction might be invalidated if buying pressure continues to rise. In that scenario, NYM’s value could jump toward $0.10.
MAGA (TRUMP)MAGA is unsurprisingly part of the top trending cryptocurrencies today, largely due to Donald Trump’s victory as US president. However, unlike NYM, TRUMP’s price experienced a 20% drawdown in the last 24 hours.
This price decrease implies that Trump’s election was a “sell the news” event. According to the daily chart, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped below the neutral 50.00 point, which indicates bearish momentum around the altcoin’s price.
Should the remain the same, TRUMP’s value might drop to $1.67.However, if buying pressure increases, the trend might change. In that scenario, the meme coin’s value might bounce to $4.83.
MAGA Daily Analysis. Source: TradingView Self Chain (SLF)Self Chain (SLF) is one of the top trending cryptocurrencies today, largely due to its price increase. At press time, the token of the layer-1 blockchain has increased by 17% in the last 24 hours and currently trades at $0.29.
According to the 4-hour chart, the Awesome Oscillator (AO), which measures momentum, has risen to the positive region. When the AO is negative, momentum is bearish. But when it is positive, momentum is bullish.
Read more: 7 Hot Meme Coins and Altcoins that are Trending in 2024
Self Chain 4-Hour Analysis. Source: TradingView Therefore, if momentum remains bullish, SLF’s price might continue to increase. If that happens, the altcoins’ value could rally to the highest level of the wick at $0.34. On the flip side, a rise in selling pressure could invalidate this prediction, and the price of altcoin could drop to $0.2
The current generation of virtual private networks (VPNs) has a problem, according to Nym CEO Harry Halpin.
“They basically say, ‘Trust us, we're not going to log or copy your data’,” he said onstage at Web Summit, “but actually they can. You just have to trust them.” Independent audits can be faked, he added, or are “not particularly trustworthy themselves.”
“Two or three large VPN companies actually run most user-facing VPNs,” he explained, adding that because they’re centralized, “you're not really making your connection private in any meaningful sense—you're just trusting some other company with all of your network data.”
Nym is aiming to solve that problem with its own decentralized VPN (dVPN), which was designed to be “NSA-proof.”
“A few years ago, I worked for the French government after Snowden, and they said, ‘Can we make a VPN that even the NSA can't crack?’” Halpin said. The project was subsequently spun out into a startup that, he joked, has produced “the world's most private and slowest VPN.”
Where a traditional VPN routes traffic through another computer, Halpin explained, “we take your traffic and we encrypt each packet separately, and send each packet through a different network of computers.” Each packet is routed separately, and mixed with other packets so the order is jumbled.
On top of that, NymVPN mixes fake traffic in with the packets, and is fully decentralized, “so there's no single server or even single company that controls the VPN, and any payments are unlinkable,” Halpin said. “That's all quite new tech, and it does make things slower,” he added.
In order to make NymVPN suitable for mainstream users, the service offers two security tiers that users can flip between: a high-security, slower “5-hop” option using Nym’s mixnet, and a less secure but faster “2-hop” option with onion encryption for “people that just want to stream cat videos,” Halpin said.
The slower mixnet mode, Halpin said, is intended for “people who are in a high-security, high-privacy situation,” like Nym security consultant Chelsea Manning, who was jailed after leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks. Manning joined Nym after having “more or less thought of the same concept while in jail,” Halpin said.
Manning explained that together with a colleague working at privacy-centric browser Brave, she originally mapped out a plan to upgrade privacy project Tor and whistleblower platform SecureDrop. “We knew that even then, thinking into the 2020s and the 2030s, we were going to have to innovate and develop a mixnet, and add decoy traffic into the network,” she said. Manning then teamed up with Halpin and economist Claudia Diaz to develop the reward system underpinning Nym.
“If we’re successful and we're able to fund this venture, we should be able to develop the most secure consumer-level tool that's ever been conceived of,” she said.
With NymVPN now available for public testing on a free 30-day trial, the two are planning the next steps for the network. Future plans include creating a standard for hardware acceleration on the network, setting the stage for the integration of technologies like secure enclaves, Manning said.
“Right now, we have to choose between privacy and speed, but we would like everyone to be anonymous, totally private by default, and for that to be the same speed as a normal VPN,” Halpin said.
And has the NSA been in touch?
“I’m not aware of that," said Manning. “I’m sure that they’re interested.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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Coin PricesNym Launching 'World's First Decentralized Mixnet' VPN: CEO
Nym CEO Harry Halpin sat down with Decrypt's Stephen Graves at Web Summit to talk about what makes its mixnet VPN unique, the global crackdown on privacy projects, and whether crypto's "honeymoon" with the Trump administration will last.
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Nym, a top routing platform for Web3, has announced its latest partnership with Celestia, a modular blockchain using Data Availability Sampling. The partnership targets to advance the scalability and integrity of the modular blockchains with the integration of “noise obfuscation”. This will benefit the data availability modules of Celestia through Nym Network. The platform took to social media to reveal this endeavor.
Nym Collaborates with Celestia to Enhance Blockchain Scalability Nym mentioned that collaboration with Celestia focuses on utilizing “noise obfuscation” feature for Celestia. In this respect, the data availability modules of Celstia can leverage this functionality through Nym. Celestia reportedly permits anyone to develop their separate blockchain with the use of its exclusive modular structure. It offers a matchless flexibility and scalability.
The platform has also created a L0 network for secure routing via the “Noise Generating Mixnet” project. Nym’s NGM can offer an anonymization layer to enable data retrieval, consensus, and queries. This reportedly ensures that the querying entity stays uncensored. In addition to this, any wallet, application, or blockchain can integrate Nym to secure traffic in transfer.
Celestia mainly endeavors to enhance blockchain scaling while retaining the chain security. For the improvement of its DAS’s integrity, Celestia has reportedly outlined a unique security improvement. This enables it to prevent a likely selective disclosure exploit. This could take place when the verification procedure gets manipulated by a malicious node.
In such a case, the node selectively replies to the given queries while holding back the block data. Though this hazard is at current theoretical, protecting DAS in each situation is required as Celestia chains perform efficient scaling.
Leveraging U-DAS Module to Prevent Selective Disclosure Exploits Aiming at Requesters According to Nym, its partnership with Celestia reflects a crucial landmark in the venture toward improving the blockchain security and scalability. As included in this development, Nym will create an Unlinkable Data Availability Sampling module. This will unlink the request from the requesting party through the Nym NGM. This will prevent selective disclosure exploits targeting requesters. Hence, with the latest U-DAS module, Celestia’s network participants will get the capability to sample as well as verify the sections of the data. They can do this without lacking chain integrity.
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Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.
Privacy-centric firm Nym, backed by a16z and other investors, has launched its zero-knowledge powered payment system and introduced a perpetual token buyback model.
The decentralized technology provider’s DePIN payments system and token buyback are now live for public testing. Specifically, NymVPN, first introduced in November 2023, will launch commercially on March 13, 2025.
Ahead of the public rollout, users will have the opportunity to battle-test the payment mechanism,, the NymVPN team said in an announcement.
When it goes live, subscribers will be able to pay in fiat such as euros and dollars, or in Bitcoin (BTC). The project also supports payments with the native NYM token. Nym will convert all fiat and crypto payments for NymVPN subscription to the native token NYM, with the perpetual buyback set to create a “flywheel” reflecting market demand.
“The launch of NYM activated the supply-side of privacy and created a network of over a thousand nodes. Today we are activating the demand side, allowing ordinary users to pay in fiat and Bitcoin for NymVPN. Their payment is then converted to NYM token buy-orders to keep the network running,” the Nym CEO added.
With global need for privacy solutions and VPN adoption on the rise amid increased security and censorship, Nym’s layer-0 network offers both the anonymity and safety users need. Meanwhile, buyback means subscriptions will help create consistent buy pressure for the NYM token.
NYM, which launched in 2022, is a token designed to reward the Nym ecosystem’s mixnet node operators. According to Harry Halpin, chief executive officer of Nym, the token is key to the project’s goal of delivering a privacy-focused decentralized network.
The launch of the DePIN payment system and the NYM token repurchases brings the project’s crypto-economics “full circle.” It allows NYM’s use in tokenization and in rewards, providing further incentive for the community.
“Just like everyone should enjoy clean water and electricity, people deserve secure and private communication,” Jaya Brekke, chief strategy officer at Nym, said. “This is not speculative, but a growing real world need. And with the launch of the perpetual buyback mechanism, the token can shift out of a speculative promise to instead signal such real world demand.”
Dash, the digital-cash network that began life as Darkcoin, has been integrated as a payment option for NymVPN. It is a move that stitches together two long-standing projects in the privacy space and gives users a way to “pay for privacy with privacy.”
The integration lets NymVPN subscribers pay using Dash, which the companies say delivers fast, low-cost and censorship-resistant transactions. NymVPN, endorsed publicly by Edward Snowden, offers a two-tier service: a “Fast” WireGuard-based 2-hop VPN for everyday browsing and streaming, and an “Anonymous” 5-hop mixnet mode designed to protect metadata from sophisticated surveillance, including AI-driven analysis.
“By integrating Dash, we’re giving our users the ability to pay for privacy with privacy,” said Joël Valenzuela, core member of Dash DAO. “This partnership bridges a crucial gap in the privacy tech stack: you can now keep your identity safe when connecting to the internet and when paying for that protection.”
Why it Matters One of the thorniest problems in online privacy is that buying privacy services often leaves a payment trail. Traditional payment rails expose names, billing addresses and other identifiers; many public blockchain payments also create transaction histories that can be analyzed or correlated. The Dash–Nym tie-up aims to close that gap by combining Dash’s optional privacy features and instant settlement with Nym’s metadata-resistant network.
“This collaboration with Dash strengthens our mission to offer privacy across different kinds of financial transactions,” said Nym’s CEO, Harry Halpin. “With Dash payments that offer a degree of privacy beyond most cryptocurrencies, our users can access NymVPN’s metadata-resistant mixnet, further shielding their transactions from mass surveillance.”
Dash is built for speed and low fees, attributes that make it practical for subscription payments. Launched in 2014 as Darkcoin, it was among the early cryptocurrencies to pioneer protocol-level privacy options and remains one of the few privacy-capable coins listed on major exchanges. Nym’s offering, by contrast, focuses on network-level protections: its mixnet adds hops and covers traffic to obscure who is talking to whom, and, the company says, to blunt the kind of large-scale metadata analysis increasingly powered by machine learning.
Taken together, Dash handles the payment leg without revealing identifiable financial rails, while NymVPN masks the communications leg. That combination, both projects argue, creates a fuller privacy posture for users who want to avoid leaving an identifiable trail either when they connect to the internet or when they pay for the protection.
A Blueprint, Not Just a Feature Beyond the immediate convenience of a new payment option, Dash and Nym frame the integration as a broader blueprint for privacy tooling. Secure communications and private transactions are working together rather than in isolation. While payment censorship and surveillance pressures grow, the partnership points to interoperable privacy primitives as a practical defense.
The integration also marks a homecoming of sorts for Dash: a return to the currency’s privacy roots while emphasizing usability and low-cost everyday payments. These are the attributes the project says make Dash suitable both for ordinary purchases and for privacy-critical use cases.
NymVPN users will now see Dash among the available subscription payment methods. The companies highlight the attributes that make Dash attractive for this role: near-instant finality, low transaction costs, and optional privacy features that reduce the amount of traceable payment data.
NymVPN subscribers, meanwhile, can choose the mode that best fits their needs: the speedy WireGuard option for regular use, or the 5-hop mixnet for situations requiring stronger metadata protection. Overall, the Dash-Nym partnership is being pitched as a practical, consumer-facing answer: bringing together private payments and private communications into a single, seamless experience.
AUTHOR
Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.
Nym, a decentralized, open-source, and incentivized infrastructure that provides comprehensive, network-level privacy for users and the internet, has announced its landmark strategic partnership with Cardano ($ADA). Cardano ($ADA) is also a decentralized and proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain platform for security and scalability alternatively to earlier networks.
🛡️Online privacy is the condition for digital freedom. That’s why we’re working with Midnight Network to ensure that their protections for private payments and private smart contracts extend to the network level.
🔑Today, we’re excited to announce that NymVPN now accepts…
— Nym (@nym) February 24, 2026 The primary purpose of this partnership is to enhance the privacy of blockchain transactions, ultimately achieving full network-level privacy. The hidden purpose is to make preparations before joining new blockchains like Midnight Network to ensure the safety and transparency of private payments. For the first time, NymVPN is ready to accept payments in $ADA. Nym has revealed this news through its official social media X account.
Strengthening Network-Level Privacy Across the Cardano Ecosystem NymVPN is highly grateful to Cardano developers at Blink Labs for this collaboration, because Blink Labs is those whose NabuVPN, which is the first VPN to accept $ADA. This is the first step toward development. After that, this step makes a clear opportunity to get access to this domain and also makes the possibilities for a wider Midnight ecosystem.
Nym has a clear stance to safeguard the users at the network layer by activating a protective metadata layer and ensuring mass surveillance is as technically difficult as possible with the help of cutting-edge research. Before this collaboration, Cardano was a transparent chain till Midnight launches, but Cardano shares a related ethos to Nym at the blockchain layer.
Nym and Cardano Unite to Strengthen Privacy and Long-Term Resilience The unification of Nym and Cardano is very beneficial even can even say that it is a box of treasure full of opportunities. They have paid special attentions toward security, formal methods, and long-term resilience. Furthermore, both platforms have made plans for the aid of the Midnight security system about payments matters. Privacy is given much value in this modern world because, as the world grows, it brings security concerns along with it.
The Cardano ($ADA) token is used for paying transaction fees, participating in staking and network validation, delegating stake to secure the blockchain, and interacting with smart contracts. On the other hand, $ADA staking is directly proportional to the security of the network. As the $ADA staking increases, the economic condition will be strong. In short, they are protecting users with the best security system.
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Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
